WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) on Wednesday held a conference call with reporters to discuss the new Senate Democrats report “COVID-19 and Its Impact on our Mental Health.” The Senators discussed how social isolation, fear of contracting the virus and job loss are directly affecting people across the United States and increasing rates of suicide, mental illness, substance use disorder and domestic violence. Additionally, doctors, nurses and other frontline workers are at an increased risk for developing mental illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The report also outlines how Congress must invest in behavioral health services and not leave behind those with mental illness and addiction.

“…[My] experience as a public servant is framed through harrowing days at the very beginning of my first term in the United States Senate when a tragedy struck a small town in western Connecticut, Sandy Hook. And what I saw during that time, was how a life ended too short leads to ripples of grief that cannot be addressed without serious mental health and counseling resources,” said Murphy.

Murphy continued: “And with 80,000 Americans having been stolen from their families far too early because of this virus, we also have to understand that the ripples of trauma, while maybe not as serious as when 20 first graders are killed at one moment, are grave and extreme nonetheless. We're going to have a lot of work ahead of us to try to put back together lives and families after this crisis is over.”

“But there is also a trauma that comes with losing your job and being unable to put food on the table. And with unemployment levels that are reaching that of the Great Depression, we also know that we are going to have an enormous amount of work to do to deal with that kind of grief and trauma and trouble as well. And you layer that on top of the severe underfunding that already existed for our mental health system and the challenge is great,” Murphy concluded.

Murphy has been a staunch advocate to increase mental health availability across Connecticut. Last year, Murphy and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), introduced the Mental Health Parity Compliance Act of 2019 to improve transparency and accountability to help ensure consumers have access to mental health and substance use services included in their plans. It would strengthen compliance with mental health parity laws by requiring issuers or plans to submit comparative analyses upon request from federal oversight agencies. In 2016, Murphy and Cassidy also co-authored the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act in 2016, which was signed into law by President Obama.

A full transcript of Murphy’s remarks can be found below:

“Thank you very much, Senator Stabenow. And thanks everybody for being on this call today. I am eager to work with all of my colleagues on the recommendations included in this report.

“You know, much of my experience as a public servant is framed through the harrowing days at the very beginning of my first term in the United States Senate when a tragedy struck a small town in western Connecticut, Sandy Hook. And what I saw during that time, was how a life ended too short leads to ripples of grief that cannot be addressed without serious mental health counseling resources. 

“And with 80,000 Americans having been stolen from their families far too early because of this virus, we also have to understand that the ripples of trauma, while maybe not as serious as when 20 first graders are killed at one moment, are grave and extreme nonetheless. We're going to have a lot of work ahead of us to try to put back together lives and families after this crisis is over.

“But there is also a trauma that comes with losing your job and being unable to put food on the table. And with unemployment levels that are reaching that of the Great Depression, we also know that we are going to have an enormous amount of work to do to deal with that kind of grief and trauma and trouble as well. And you layer that on top of the severe underfunding that already existed for our mental health system and the challenge is great. So I'm happy to join with Senator Stabenow to push for additional funding. I'm very glad that the House bill includes a big down payment on the investment that we need.

“But let me finish by mentioning one other challenge ahead of us. Well, I'm a big believer that insurance companies are not doing enough to pay for and reimburse mental health care. That's why I am leading an effort to enforce the parity laws that we have on the books today. It is true that you are much better off having insurance than not having insurance if you are mentally ill or you have a substance abuse issue that needs treatment. 

“And the estimates from the Kaiser Foundation suggests that 24 million people across this country are losing their employer based health care, many of them will only be able to continue health care through the Affordable Care Act exchanges—or the expansion of Medicaid included in the Affordable Care Act. And so, as we build a protective system for people with mental illness or substance abuse, we have no chance at constructing that infrastructure without the Affordable Care Act in place. And so, it is just heartbreaking to me that this president continues to try to destroy the Affordable Care Act, sending lawyers to court to try to eliminate coverage for 20 million Americans at the exact moment that we need the Affordable Care Act the most.

“And what was interesting to me is this last weekend, my good friend Lamar Alexander went on national TV and came out in opposition to the continuation of this lawsuit. I think it is a sign that many Republicans are beginning to finally understand the danger to their constituents, especially those who are dealing with mental illness if the Affordable Care Act disappears off the face of the earth in an instant.

“So thanks for convening this call and this day of action. Senator Stabenow, I hope that this will help wake up our colleagues on both sides of the aisle as to the need to include significant funding for mental health and mental health providers in this next relief package.”

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