Sen. Kennedy on National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Mr. President, my amendment will increase funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by an additional $2.8 million. It is bipartisan, fully offset, and will do a great deal to make sure that anyone battling depression knows that there’s someone out there who is listening.

According to the CDC, 45,000 American lives were lost to suicide in 2016. Data also shows that in half of states, suicide rates have increased more than 30% over the last 20 years. This is a public health crisis affecting our families, our kids, and our veterans.

This Lifeline is funded for the express purpose of preventing suicides. It supports a national network of local crisis centers who are available 24/7. To date, they’ve answered more than 10 million calls from people in distress.

Over the next 4 years, the Lifeline’s crisis centers expect to receive more than 12 million calls. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of my amendment to combat the suicide epidemic and protect America’s families from these preventable tragedies.