After suicides, lawmakers push for mental health resources for border agents
As Republicans plan to aggressively challenge President Biden's border and immigration policies in the House next year, one border-district Republican is drawing attention an alarming number of suicides in the ranks of Customs and Border Protection agents. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers plan this week to introduce the TAPS Act to direct resources to Border Patrol agents -- modeled on a past effort at the Pentagon to address mental health issues in the Military . "There's a lot of things that should unite us," Gonzales said at a news conference Wednesday. "The fact that we have 14 agents who have committed suicide [this year] is a problem ... and it's a problem for this body to solve." Rep. Tony Gonzales speaks during a news conference on rising suicide rates at the U.S. Border Patrol, Dec. 7, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mariam Zuhaib/AP MORE: Border apprehensions exceed 2 million this year: Enforcement in...