House Speaker Paul Ryan said the implementation of mental health reform is a “critical ingredient” in preventing future mass shootings during a Tuesday press conference.
The Wisconsin Republican’s comments come just days after the most deadly shooting on U.S. soil in recent history, in which 58 people were killed and more than 500 were injured at a country music festival in Las Vegas. Ryan said that mental illness has been a common theme in recent attacks, noting that the lower chamber passed legislation aimed at providing more resources for those in need of medical assistance.
“That’s why the House of Representatives passed landmark mental health reform just a year ago. That law is now being implemented,” Ryan told reporters. “It’s important that as we see the dust settle and we see what was behind some of these tragedies, that mental health reform is a critical ingredient to making sure that we can try and prevent some of these things from happening in the past.”
In the wake of the attacks, Democrats have called on Congress to bring gun control legislation to the floor.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked Ryan to establish a special committee on gun violence in the wake of the attack.
No votes are currently scheduled for gun-related measures this week.
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