Reps. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Chris Stewart, R-Utah, back a replacement to the suicide hotline with a three-digit dialing code.
The Federal Communications Commission proposed the change earlier this week in a report to Congress, saying that using an easier number to remember "would likely make it easier for Americans in crisis to access potentially life-saving resources."
"It is time to treat suicide like any other life-threatening emergency, and Congress should take the lead," Moulton and Stewart wrote in an opinion piece for The Washington Post. "We have joined forces across the aisle to start that conversation, and we believe this issue can unite Congress at a time when it is deeply divided."
America's suicide rates are at the highest level since World War II, with a 33% increase from 1999 to 2017 alone, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Armed with the facts, it is time for Congress to get to work," Moulton and Stewart wrote. "This week, we introduced the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which would let Americans experiencing a mental-health emergency dial 988 to immediately receive help."
© 2022 Newsmax. All rights reserved.