One Nation, a public policy organization dedicated to promoting commonsense legislative solutions, endorsed Senator Cory Gardner’s bipartisan legislation that will save lives by establishing an easy to remember, three-digit phone number for the national suicide prevention hotline.
Gardner’s bill (S. 2661), introduced with Sens. Baldwin (D-WI), Moran (R-KS), and Reed (D-RI), would “designate 9-8-8 as the universal telephone number for the purpose of the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system operating throught he National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and through the Veterans Crisis Line.”
When announcing the bill’s introduction, Gardner said: “This legislation is more than smart policy that will help save lives, it’s a statement that our government recognizes the crisis and is working across party lines to address it.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), from 1999 to 2016, suicides increased in 49 of 50 states. Additionally, in 2018, the national suicide hotline answered 2.2 million calls.
“The rise of suicides in the United States is a tragic reality affecting millions of Americans and their families. We applaud Senator Cory Gardner for his bipartisan leadership in recognizing a common-sense solution to address this rapidly growing problem. We encourage all Coloradans to back Senator Gardner’s effort and support its speedy passage.” -One Nation Communications Director Jack Pandol