[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 73 (Thursday, June 6, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S5129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MENTAL HEALTH RALLY

  Mr. REID. Will the Senator answer a question?
  Mr. WELLSTONE. I would be pleased.
  Mr. REID. I was scheduled to appear with the Senator from Minnesota 
at a public hearing involving mental health. I was not able to be there 
because of floor duties. Would the Senator be kind enough to indicate 
what went on at that gathering today?
  Mr. WELLSTONE. I thank the whip. First, we know Senator Reid was not 
at the rally because of his duties in the Senate.
  Senator Reid from Nevada is a perfect example of someone who has 
taken his own life story in the most personal, powerful, and eloquent 
way and given a lot of other people inspiration. Thank you, thank you, 
thank you for your work.
  It was very moving. I don't know what the temperature is out there, 
but it feels like it is 120. It was on the west side of the Capitol. 
The estimates were 1,500 or 2,000 people in attendance. There were a 
lot of people there for well over an hour.
  A couple of things happened: First, this is a bill on the House side 
that now has 224 cosponsors. That is over a majority. That is enough to 
get a discharge petition. This is the work of Marge Roukema, 
Republican, and Patrick Kennedy, Democrat.
  On the Senate side, the bill has 66 cosponsors. In addition, there 
are 200 organizations that support it. In addition, the majority of the 
people are saying end the discrimination. That is what it was about. Do 
not tell someone whose daughter is struggling with depression, and they 
are worried she might take her life: You only can have a few days in 
the hospital and that is it. You can only see a doctor a few times and 
that is it. Treat the illness like an illness, like any other illness, 
like a physical illness. End the discrimination.
  It was very moving. People came to say end the discrimination. They 
came also to say it seems everyone is for it except the health 
insurance industry. Obviously, they are trying to block it. People are 
saying: We do not want to wait any longer.
  My hope is the White House will be very involved in the negotiations. 
The President has called for full mental health parity. That is very 
important. We need the help. Last time we passed it on the Senate side 
and put it in the appropriations bill of Labor, Health, and Human 
Services, it was blocked in conference. This time, my hope is that we 
will get a chance to bring it to the floor this month. We have more 
than enough support. The House must pass it. The White House will weigh 
in. It may not be 100-percent perfect, but what a difference it will 
make.
  Just to give some context, the people who came from all around the 
country, came to say the time is now. Just to give some context, I 
mentioned the New York Times, and the journalist should get a Pulitzer 
Prize for a three-part, front-page story. I could not bear to read it. 
It talked about adult care in New York City. Just imagine, in other 
States as well, people jumping out of windows because they do not get 
any care. They do not get pharmacological treatment--clients, men and 
women, adults in urine-stenched clothing day after day because of no 
adequate staffing; elderly people dying in the heat, in the United 
States of America, in the year 2002. We can do better.
  You asked me about the rally. Senator Domenici just came in, and it 
was really wonderful. Then we had a vote, so we had to leave. But Nancy 
Domenici was, what do you say, emceeing it? My own concern is that 
people drank enough water because it was so hot. But people are 
determined. People are determined to end the discrimination, to get 
this legislation passed. It was wonderful. I think it was really 
important.

  They are working very hard today as citizen lobbyists, talking to 
Members of the House, hoping we will move to this legislation. That is 
what it is all about.
  I see my colleague from New Mexico is here.
  Mr. REID. The Senator from New Mexico and the Senator from Minnesota 
are in the Chamber. The Senator from Minnesota was speaking on another 
subject, and I asked him about the rally that I could not attend today, 
and he proceeded to tell us.
  I want to spread on the record of this Senate the admiration and 
respect I have for the two Senators, both differing in political 
philosophies except that on this issue they are marching in lockstep to 
fruition. Because of their leadership and their advocacy, we are going 
to have, in this country, mental health care so someone who has a 
mental illness is going to be treated like someone who has a physical 
illness. They should be on a par. Because of the leadership of the two 
Senators, the Senator from Minnesota and the Senator from New Mexico, 
that is going to happen.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I did not quite get here in time to ask 
the distinguished majority whip where we were in terms of the business 
of the Senate. Might I ask, what is the parliamentary situation? What 
is pending before the Senate?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. An amendment of the Senator from Arizona was 
set aside by consent to recur at 2 o'clock.
  Mr. DOMENICI. I yield the floor.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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