[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 12, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S6115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MENTAL HEALTH AMENDMENT

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I rise to talk about what I hope will 
be a bipartisan approach, but I speak with a considerable amount of 
concern. I have worked very closely with my colleague from New Mexico, 
Senator Domenici, a Republican, and very closely with my colleague from 
Wyoming, Senator Simpson, on a mental health amendment to the insurance 
reform bill.
  That amendment passed, Mr. President, by a 68-to-30 vote. What that 
amendment said was that as we look at insurance reform, we do not 
mandate benefits, but once plans are put into motion, and once there is 
an agreement about a particular plan for employees or for citizens, 
this ought not to be discrimination against people who are struggling 
with mental illness, illness that is diagnosable and treatable. That 
amendment passed by a 68-to-30 vote.
  What we were simply saying is, for gosh sakes, do not put people in a 
position where they cannot work because they will not get the coverage, 
and they have to be on medical assistance. Do not put people in a 
position where they could do well in school, but they cannot do well in 
school. Do not put people in a position where they are homeless, and 
they should not be homeless. Do not put people in a position where they 
wind up incarcerated, where that is not where they should be.
  Mr. President, we had strong bipartisan support. It then went to what 
will, hopefully, be a conference committee. It is with profound 
disappointment and some indignation that I say on the floor of the 
Senate that what has now happened on the part of my Republican 
colleagues on the House side is they have essentially knocked out the 
whole amendment.
  Mr. President, working with Senator Domenici, Senator Simpson, people 
like Senator Conrad, we came up with a pared-down formulation that said 
at least for lifetime limits, at least for annual limits, have the same 
caps as for physical illness, so that people who are struggling with 
mental illness are not put under economically, so that people can 
receive the care that they need. We should end this discrimination.
  This particular compromise would cost, according to CBO, 0.2 of a 1-
percent increase. That is it. Mr. President, there is no good policy 
reason, I say to my colleagues on the floor of the Senate today, there 
is no good policy reason why this compromise that we presented to 
members of the conference committee on the House Republican side should 
not have been accepted. It is fair. It is equitable. It economically 
makes sense. It is just. It is the right thing to do. There is not one 
single article that can be made against it. Not one single argument 
that can be made against it.
  Now what we hear on the House side from Republicans is that what we 
will get is a commission to study the problem. Senator Domenici does 
not consider that acceptable. I do not consider that acceptable. 
Senator Simpson does not consider that acceptable. That is not even the 
point. It is not acceptable for families all across this country who 
thought we were going to finally end this discrimination.
  Mr. President, there will be a press conference this afternoon at 2 
o'clock. A lot of the families, men and women and children who are 
struggling with mental illness, will be there. Several of us will be 
there. I think what they will say is they are going to visit with every 
member of that conference committee on the House side, Republican and 
Democrat alike. They are going to visit, I say to my good colleague 
from Mississippi, Senator Lott, they are going to visit with 
leadership, and they are going to say to leaders and they are going to 
say to Democrats and Republicans alike: ``Tell us why it is still not 
time to end the discrimination. Tell us why you are unwilling to end 
this discrimination against our children, against our wives, against 
our husbands. Tell us when it is not time to end discrimination.''
  Mr. President, I say to my colleague from Mississippi, if I could get 
his attention, I want to mention this afternoon at 2 o'clock we will 
have a press conference with some wonderful families who have been 
struggling with mental illness. You know Senator Domenici cares so much 
about this. They are going to meet with leadership and say, ``Look, the 
formulation that we now came up with,'' not the commission, ``at least 
should not have arbitrary caps on lifetime and annual limits, costs 0.2 
of 1 percent.'' It helps end the discrimination. Please do not shut our 
families out.

  I hope you will give them your utmost consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.

                          ____________________