Date: 2008-03-05
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Speaker. I rise in very strong support of H.R. - 1424. the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act. named in honor of the late Paul Wellstone. who fought vigorously for better treatment for mental illness. We in the Congress have known for many. many years. and so many of our constituents in our communities that we represent have known for so many years. the need for coverage for those individuals who need mental health treatment. whether it is for themselves or members of their family. and the difficulty in not only having coverage. but providing that care and to make sure that some form of that care is reimbursed. This has been a struggle for many years. Today we address that struggle headon with the consideration of this legislation. but we would not be standing here today without the efforts of Paul Wellstone and all of his efforts to rule out the discrimination against individuals in need of mental health services. He is joined in that fight. and they have led that fight. by Congressman PATRICK KENNEDY and Congressman JIM RAMSTAD. Again. we would not be here today debating this legislation and hopefully later this evening passing this legislation so that we can. for the first time. offer as a matter of national policy the idea that there would be parity in the coverage between physical illnesses and mental illnesses. to make sure that those people can get that coverage. can get the treatment that is necessary. can get the care that is necessary for them and for their families. Yes. the fact is that a number of States have laws governing this treatment for mental illness and the reimbursement for those services. but Federal law still hampers the reach of many of those laws. And as a result. many of the people who would be otherwise covered are not covered. and they continue to suffer under those discriminatory practices. and they fail to get the services that they need so they can live a better life andso their families can live a better life. Today we get an opportunity because of the hard work. the efforts that Congressman RAMSTAD and Congressman KENNEDY have made to travel this country. to talk in communities all across the country. to inform them and to discuss with them the possibilities of this legislation. what it would mean to individuals. what it would mean to families. what it would mean to the general health care in this country. They have taken on that mission. and they have convinced. I think. the vast majority of the country. and they have certainly enlisted those who understood the problem before their appearances that this is a problem that we need to address and we need to address now and we need to address in the most comprehensive fashion that we can. This legislation doesnt do all that I would like to see it do. It doesnt do all that Congressman KENNEDY or Con-. gressman RAMSTAD would hope that it would do. And it doesnt do all that Paul Wellstone wanted us to do in terms of eliminating all of those discriminatory provisions. But it is a magnificent start. and we should begin by passing this legislation today. Mr. Speaker. at this time I yield to the gentlewoman from New York for a unanimous consent request.