After almost 20 students and staff members were gunned down inside a Florida high school, many people have taken to the internet to talk about gun control and mental health.
These topics typically dominate the conversation after tragedies like the Florida shooting on both sides of the political spectrum.
If you would like to speak to your representative about your opinion on those issues, we broke it down for you by issue and committee below.
MENTAL HEALTH:
Senate Appropriations Committee
The largest committee in the US Senate, the Appropriations Committee writes legislation that allocates federal discretionary funds to the different government agencies, departments, and organizations, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. As just one example, funding for the Primary Care/Behavioral Health Integration program goes through the Appropriations Committee before becoming available.
**Senator Patty Murray (CONTACT)
Senate Finance Committee
This committee handles a number of issues related to health programs that are financed by a specific tax or trust fund, including Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Any Senate bill that is related to taxes has to come through this committee.
**Maria Cantwell (CONTACT)
**Mike Crapo (CONTACT)
Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee
As indicated in the name, this committee has jurisdiction over the country’s health care (except for the health care programs under the finance committee’s jurisdiction) and oversees public health and health insurance statutes to address changing patterns in the health care industry. The committee reviews all matters related to health care and reports on these issues to Congress.
HELP.Senate.gov
**Patty Murray (CONTACT)
House Appropriations Committee
Similar to the Senate Appropriations Committee, this committee is responsible for deciding how the federal government spends money and which programs will be funded.
Appropriations.House.gov
**Rep. Derek Kilmer (CONTACT)
**Jaime Herrera Beutler (CONTACT)
**Dan Newhouse (CONTACT)
**Michael K. Simpson (CONTACT)
House Energy and Commerce Committee
This committee maintains legislative oversight in a multitude of areas including public health, environmental health, and telecommunications. Its jurisdiction extends over several agencies, including the US Department of Health and Human Services. It also has jurisdiction over Medicaid and parts of Medicare.
**Cathy McMorris Rodgers (CONTACT)
House Ways and Means Committee
The Ways and Means Committee is responsible for writing taxes and has jurisdiction over Social Security, Medicare, and enforcement of child support laws, to name a few. Similar to the Senate Committee on Finance, any House bill that has anything to do with taxation must come through this committee, so it’s pretty influential. It also has jurisdiction over Medicare.
WaysAndMeans.House.gov
**Dave Reichert (CONTACT)
**Suzan DelBene (CONTACT)
GUNS:
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
***Mike Crapo (CONTACT)
House of Representatives Judiciary Committee
** Rep. Pramila Jayapal (CONTACT)