WASHINGTON (WBAP/KLIF News) – Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) will be pushing for mental health reform in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday.
“Our jails and our streets have become places where people suffering from mental illness, basically, are left without treatment and without recourse,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Our goal in the hearing is to work toward another solution, one that would give families greater flexibility, including actual treatment options for the people they love. A bill I introduced called the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act offers one proven approach to treating mental illness.”
The legislation proposed by Sen. Cornyn has been somewhat controversial. He argues the bill, S.2002 (the “Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015”), would boost the federal background check system to keep guns out of the hands of those with mental illness. Critics say the measure would actually make it easier for mentally ill people to get guns because it looses restrictions.
“This is an area where we can and we must do better,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I think this will open a lot of eyes, and it will help us continue the conversation so we can find some common ground and work toward real solutions.”
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