Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008

Floor Speech

PAUL WELLSTONE AND PETE DOMENICI MENTAL HEALTH PARITY AND ADDICTION EQUITY ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - September 23, 2008)

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Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, as everyone has said before, this bill is a victory. It may not be everything that everyone had hoped to get into this bill, but it is going in the right direction. It does ensure treatment, it does address the stigma associated with mental health disorders.

I just wanted to point out that we have so many of our servicemembers who are coming home who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. And they are coming home and transitioning to civilian life. But they are going to find some barriers as well. The barriers to mental health care are really playing themselves out today because I just talked to a family just a little while ago, and they felt that even though we're starting to put in some of those services, there's great resistance to people seeking that kind of care.

This bill begins to change that. It sends a very clear and a very direct message that mental health care is as important as physical care. We wouldn't stop people in the middle of their treatment for something of stomach ulcers. You cannot stop people in the middle of their treatment for mental health disorders.

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased this bill is on the floor.

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