In This Week’s Edition Of E-News…
Chairman Murphy Hosts “After Newtown” Mental Health Forum
U.S. Capitol Open For Business
House Passes Funding Bill, Preserves Airlift Missions
Murphy Announces Congressional Art Competition
Greene County Kicks Off “My Bike” Program
SWPA Veterans Visit Washington

Chairman Murphy Hosts “After Newtown” Mental Health Forum

Parents of children with severe mental illness shared their stories of grief and despair, with an eye towards hope, at a bipartisan mental health forum on violence and mental illness at the Energy and Commerce Committee this past Tuesday. The forum was convened by Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy as part of his continuing effort to examine federal mental health policies and programs.

Parents discussed personal experiences regarding barriers to treatment for their child; effectiveness of federal, state, and local programs; as well as ways to expand access and improve treatment outcomes. They cited the lack of treatment options and the federal HIPAA privacy law as two major barriers preventing mentally ill children from receiving needed care.

Chairman Murphy speaks at the "After Newtown" forum.

Other participants said mental illness is often treated only after a psychotic episode, even though warning signs were evident well beforehand. Mental health experts testified that serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can be managed, but physicians and society must view it like a physical disease such as heart disease or diabetes.

Rep. Murphy said in his opening statement that too often, the community has treated people with mental illness “as if equipped with such blinders – a willful ignorance motivated by fear.”
Murphy also said recent mental health reform efforts like closure of state hospitals had resulted in some unintended consequences.

“The majority of the mentally ill should be receiving care in the community setting, but for many with severe mental illness, deinstitutionalization was a disaster, the after-effects of which we are still struggling to recover from, even today. Now, too many fill our prisons and are left as the wandering homeless.”
 
You can read or watch Congressman Murphy’s full opening statement here. To view pictures from the forum, click here. To watch the entire forum, which has received praise for addressing the stigma of mental illness from both sides of the aisle, please visit C-SPAN.

Earlier that day, Rep. Murphy appeared on C-SPAN Washington Journal to preview the forum, discuss taxpayer waste in mental health programs, and take calls from listeners regarding issues pertaining to mental health. The Congressman even received a question from a resident of Pennsylvania’s 18th district, “Todd from Bridgeville.”

Murphy outlined his legislative priorities during the segment, which include conducting a total audit of federal mental healthcare spending in order to ensure taxpayer dollars are getting down to the level of at-risk patients, breaking down barriers to treatment, directing a study of violence and mental health, and ensuring firearms stay out of the hands of the violently mentally ill. To watch Rep. Murphy’s segment on Washington Journal, please click here.

The forum will be followed by congressional hearings to attain detailed answers about the mental health programs and services funded by the federal government, and whether or not they are effective. To learn more about the Oversight and Investigations Committee’s examination of mental health programs, policies, and funding, please click here.

To share your thoughts with Congressman Murphy on his work to examine federal mental health programs and policies, please click here.
 
U.S. Capitol Open For Business

On Tuesday, President Obama announced all public tours of the White House would be canceled indefinitely, citing the sequester.

While the White House may be closed, Congressman Tim Murphy announced that public tours of the United States Capitol will continue. The House of Representatives has been planning for the March 1 spending cuts, and implemented reforms within the Capitol complex to ensure tours and public activities at the Capitol proceed as normal.

Rep. Murphy said he remains hopeful that the White House reverses course, finds spending reductions elsewhere as Congress has done, and opens the White House back up for public visits and tours as soon as possible. Spring is a busy time of year in Washington, especially during the popular “Cherry Blossom Festival.”

“Public access to the White House has been an American tradition dating back to the early 1800s, giving the public a living lesson of our nation’s history. I am tremendously disappointed the President decided the first place to cut spending at the White House would be closing its doors to the public," said Congressman Murphy.

In addition to providing tours of the U.S. Capitol buildings, Congressman Murphy directed his staff to assist constituents with requests to visit such historical landmarks as the U.S. Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, as well as monuments and memorials throughout Washington. At this point in time, no other federal agency has ended public tours. Rep. Murphy and his office can also help constituents set up tours of the Pentagon, the Kennedy Center, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, any of the Smithsonian museums, the Holocaust Museum, Ford's Theatre, the National Cathedral, and more.  

To make arrangements to visit Washington, contact Rep. Murphy’s D.C. office at (202) 225-2301 or via email.

To share your thoughts with Congressman Murphy on the President’s decision to close the White House to the public, please click here.
 
House Approves Funding Bill, Preserves Airlift Missions

By a vote of 267-151, the United States House of Representatives approved a measure (H.R. 933) Wednesday afternoon to avoid a government shutdown and fund federal government operations through the end of September. The legislation also contains critical language as part of Rep. Murphy’s ongoing effort to save the 911th Airlift Wing.

Following the vote, Congressman Murphy made the following remarks: “The bill avoids a government shutdown, maintains spending cuts already enacted into law, and supports our veterans and troops by giving the Defense Department the flexibility needed — and requested by our military leadership — to keep our country safe. It also provides full funding to veterans’ programs.”

In January, House and Senate lawmakers enacted an annual defense bill requiring the Air Force to retain 32 air cargo planes initially targeted for retirement. These planes are crucial for transporting goods and troops into combat theater and disaster zones. H.R. 933 provides resources to keep those planes in service.

The Air Force is currently evaluating whether to station some of the 32 planes at the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon Township. Rep. Murphy has led delegation efforts to ensure the planes are placed at the 911th. A decision on the base’s fate is expected in the next few weeks.

Beyond the language important to the fate of the 911th, the government funding measure also gives the Pentagon authority to target funds to high-priority programs and sign contracts for new initiatives — something that is prohibited under a continuing resolution.

The legislation also gives full funding to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and carries over spending plans from 2012 for all other government agencies through the end of September.

To share your thoughts with Congressman Murphy on passage of the House appropriations bill, please click here.
 
Murphy Announces Congressional Art Competition

Attention, high school artists! Congressman Murphy is excited to invite all high school students across the 18th district to participate in his annual Congressional Art Competition, which showcases the talent of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s young artists.

Each year, Members of Congress are asked to submit one piece of artwork that best represents their district to be displayed in the walkway between the Capitol and House office buildings. The art is displayed for a full year. This year, Rep. Murphy is requesting students submit artwork with a patriotic theme.

“The exceptional talent of our young local artists continues to impress me year after year,” said Congressman Tim Murphy. “I’m especially excited to view 2013 submissions under our new patriotic theme. I urge our young artists to take part in this unique opportunity to demonstrate their talents and promote the Southwestern Pennsylvania region in the halls of Congress.”

Each high school may submit four entries with a limit of two per individual. All qualified artwork submitted will be on display at the Washington Crown Center Mall on Saturday, May 4, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. All are invited to this artwork display. Each school’s selections must be submitted to Rep. Murphy’s Greensburg or Mt. Lebanon office by Friday, April 26.

The first place artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Complex for one year, and the winning student will be invited to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Washington, D.C. Previous first-place winners are not eligible for first place a second time. The artwork of second- and third- place winners will be exhibited in Rep. Murphy’s Washington, D.C., office for a period of one year. A Fourth Annual People’s Choice Award will hang in Rep. Murphy’s Mt. Lebanon office for a period of one year.

A panel of professional artists will serve as judges for the competition. Artwork inappropriate for display in the Capitol Complex will be disqualified. Due to competition rules, the artwork representing the 18th district must be completed by a student residing in the 18th district.  

To view the full 2013 guidelines, please click here. The student information and release form is available here. For more information on the Congressional Art Competition, please contact Elaine Klofka in Rep. Murphy’s Mt. Lebanon office at (412) 344-5583.

To share your thoughts with Congressman Murphy on the Congressional Art Competition, please click here.
 
Murphy Spotlights Greene County “My Bike” Kick-Off

On Friday afternoon, Congressman Murphy joined local leaders to celebrate the Greene County kick-off of the “My Bike” Program, which provides adaptive bikes to children with disabilities.
“My Bike,” which was launched in November 2012, was created to provide custom-made, adaptive bikes to disabled children and youth, aged 21 and younger, so they can enjoy the freedom and joy of riding a bike alongside their friends.

Every adaptive bike is customized for each child. Since My Bike’s inception, more than 91 bicycles have been distributed and more than 230 have been sponsored by generous individuals and local companies throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. The cost to sponsor one bike is $1,800.

Rep. Murphy watches as an excited new bicycle owner takes a spin.

Attendees also included State Senator Tim Solobay, State Representative Pam Snyder, and representatives from Southwest Regional Medical Center, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Variety the Children’s Charity, which runs the special program.

The charity provides children with disabilities unique programs, experiences, and equipment, so they may live life to the fullest. Variety works to ensure that children with disabilities can participate in the same activities as any other children by providing mobility equipment and social programs to children, ages 21 and under, in 10 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

“Variety makes it possible for children needing an adaptive bike to have the joy of owning their very own bicycle. I join greater Southwestern Pennsylvania to thank and applaud the work of Variety the Children’s Charity in helping make a child’s dream come true.”

To submit an application for an adaptive bike, please click here.

To share your thoughts with Congressman Murphy on the Greene County “My Bike” program, please click here.

Local Veterans Visit Washington

Members of several Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) posts in Southwestern Pennsylvania travelled to Washington this week to visit with Congressman Murphy and discuss his legislation to overturn a Pentagon directive creating a medal to so-called drone pilots.

Last week, Rep. Murphy, who is a Lt. Commander in the Navy Reserve, joined Reps. Duncan Hunter, a Marine veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and Tom Rooney, a veteran of the U.S. Army, in introducing legislation prohibiting the Department of Defense from rating the Distinguished Warfare Medal, a decoration available to drone operators and cyber technicians, equal to or higher than the Purple Heart or Bronze Star.

Murphy also discussed veterans’ healthcare issues and increased numbers of veteran suicides and homelessness with Commander Dom DeFranco of McMurray and Commander Nelson Lowes of Ligonier.

Rep. Murphy visits with members of McMurray VFW Post 764.

IIn 2012, 349 service members died by suicide, the highest number since detailed records have been kept. In an effort to help veterans suffering from depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Congressman Murphy has been an outspoken advocate for additional mental health professionals in the military.

Most recently, Murphy authored the “Invisible Wounds of War” amendment in the 2012 defense bill, which directs the surgeons general of the Army, Navy, and Air Force to report to Congress on military mental health staffing needs and make recommendations on how to recruit additional medical specialty and behavioral health professionals with existing clinical experience.

To help newly retired, homeless, at-risk, and unemployed veterans, Murphy also sponsored several bills including H.R. 674, the Putting Soldiers Back To Work Act, which gives employers sliding-scale tax credits for hiring a veteran with service-connected disabilities or for hiring a veteran who has been seeking employment for more than one month. The legislation also established a three-year employment retraining assistance program for up to 100,000 unemployed veterans who enroll in a technical school or community college to find work in a high-demand occupation.

Finally, Murphy co-authored H.R. 3352, the Caring for Our Homeless Vets Act, which allows taxpayers to easily donate their own money for a new fund to exclusively help veterans.

Representatives from the VFW also spoke with Congressman Murphy about federal incentives to hire soldiers and voiced their concerns about veterans who are forced to pay out-of-state tuition when they are stationed outside their home state. The Congressman pledged to examine those issues further in the coming weeks.

To share your thoughts with Congressman Murphy on veterans’ issues, please click here.