Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003

Mr. President, this past Saturday, thousands of people in Sioux Falls, SD, and 35 other cities across America, took part in walks to raise public awareness of mental health. The walks were sponsored by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

In Sioux Falls, more than 300 people dodged rain showers to walk through Falls Park. They were different ages, with different backgrounds. But most shared at least one important distinction: They, or someone close to them, has a mental illness.

The same is true of nearly all Americans. A 1999 report by the Surgeon General found that more than 50 million Americans--one in five--suffer from mental illness each year. Many Members of this Senate--Republicans and Democrats--have spoken bravely and movingly about how mental illness has devastated their own parents, children or siblings.

No Senator who is with us today has demonstrated greater leadership on issues involving mental health than our distinguished colleague from New Mexico, Senator Domenici. He knows--from watching a daughter he loves very much struggle with schizophrenia--that mental illnesses don't affect just one person; they affect whole families.

Senator Domenici also knows about the stigma attached to mental illness, and the discrimination and suffering that people with mental health problems suffer as a result of that stigma.

Almost a decade ago, this proud conservative Republican found a proud liberal Democratic ally in the Senate. Like Pete Domenici, Paul Wellstone had seen someone he loved battle a serious mental illness. In Paul's case, it was his older brother. Pete Domenici and Paul Wellstone were an ``odd couple.'' But they were fiercely united in their determination to end discrimination against people with mental illness.

In 1996--thanks to their leadership--Congress passed the Mental Health Parity Act. The law--for the first time--prevented private health insurance plans that offer mental health coverage from setting annual or lifetime limits that are lower than those set for other illnesses. It was an important step forward. But it left a loophole. It allowed companies to set much higher deductibles and co-payments for mental health coverage. It also allowed insurers to set lower limits for outpatient visits or the number of days of inpatient treatment for mental illness. As a result, effective, affordable mental health treatment remains unaffordable for millions of Americans who need it.

The General Accounting Office estimates that nearly 90 percent of the Nation's health plans engage in legal discrimination based on mental health diagnoses. The results can be devastating: unemployment, broken homes, shattered lives, poverty, poor school performance--even suicide.

In 2000, Senator Domenici and Senator Wellstone introduced a new bill--the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act--to close the loopholes. It is a modest proposal. It does not require employers to provide health insurance. It does not require employers that provide health insurance to offer mental health coverage. It simply says that, for employers that choose to offer mental health benefits, insurers cannot provide more restrictive coverage for mental health benefits than they do for other medical and surgical benefits.

In late Fall 2001, the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act was unanimously added to the Senate version of the FY 2002 Labor HHS Appropriations bill. But it was stripped out of the final conference report at the insistence of the White House and the House Republican leadership.

More than two years ago, in April 2002, President Bush traveled to New Mexico with Senator Domenici and announced that he supports ``full mental health parity.'' After listening to families talk about their mental health horror stories, the President said, ``Americans with mental illness deserve our understanding and they deserve excellent care. They deserve a health care system that treats their illness with the same urgency as physical illness.''

Months later, in late October 2002, Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash, along with his wife, Sheila, their daughter, Marcia, and four others. At a memorial service for them in Washington, Senator Domenici delivered a beautiful eulogy to his friend; he announced that he was renaming the bill ``The Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act,'' and vowed to pass it.

Despite having 69 Senate co-sponsors, more than a year-and-a-half after it was re-introduced in this Congress, the Wellstone bill--S. 486--remains stuck in the HELP Committee.

Wellstone Action, the grassroots organization frmed by Paul and Sheila

Wellstone's two sons to continue their parents' work, has set passage of the Wellstone mental health bill as its only legislative goal this year. Over the last several months, Wellstone Action members have sent more than 32,000 faxes and letters to Congress asking us to pass the Wellstone bill.

Bernie Cameron is one of these letter writers. She lives in Deerfield, NH. Her brother Joe was diagnosed with schizophrenia 50 years ago, when he was just 12. By the age of 14, Joe was living in a State hospital for children. He has spent a total of only about 5 years outside of institutions since then.

Bernie Cameron's parents were both Portuguese immigrants who came to this country when they were 16 years old. Her father worked as a furniture refinisher. Her mother worked at a shoe store. They had 6 children and never had much money. They visited Joe at least three times a week.

``Can you imagine visiting your child in a place that smells of urine, where people are screaming,'' Bernie asks. ``It was so frustrating to them that they couldn't afford a better place for Joe.''

The powerful medications Joe was prescribed gave him tremors and other health problems.

In 1983, after Joe's father died, his mother sold the family home. With the proceeds of the sale, the family sent Joe to McLean's, a very good private psychiatric hospital in Boston. He was then in his late 40s. The hospital changed Joe's medication, which finally brought his seizures under control. But, after a year, they told his family there was nothing else they could do that would make a real difference in the quality of his life; to much time had been lost.

Before Joe got sick, he was a straight A student. Today, he lives in a sheltered halfway house. He still has flashes of unusual intellect and wit. When that happens, his sister wonders, ``If we could have gotten him into a place like McLean's early on, would it have made a difference?''

Bernie Cameron calls her brother's story ``a perfect illustration of the 2-tier health care system in this country.'' If you have insurance and your illness involves a part of your body other than your brain, you get health care. But if your brain is affected--even if you have insurance--there's a good chance you won't get the health care you need.

A new poll by the Coalition for Fairness in Mental Health Coverage shows that 83 percent of Americans surveyed support mental health parity in insurance. When asked whether they would support parity if it raised the premiums one percent--the high-end cost estimated for the Wellstone bill--66 percent of Americans continued to say yes.

The Wellstone bill, as I said, has 69 co-sponsors in the Senate, and 245 co-sponsors in the House. It is also supported by more than 360 national organizations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the complete list be printed in the Record at the close of my remarks.

Yet the Wellstone bill remains stuck in the HELP Committee because of fierce opposition from the insurance industry and its allies.

Opponents of mental health parity claim it will drive up the cost of health coverage, which will result in more people losing their insurance.

Let me be clear. Their claims are not true. They are scare tactics. We have heard them all before.

To begin with, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees would be totally exempt.

In addition, two highly respected organizations have analyzed the Wellstone bill. The private accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts it would increase health insurance premiums by 1 percent. That is it, 1 percent. That works out to $1.32 per month.

The Congressional Budget Office predicts an even smaller average increase, nine-tenths of 1 percent. I think most families would think that is a pretty good deal.

Senators Domenici and Wellstone modeled their bill on the mental health parity provisions in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. According to the Office of Personnel Management, those provisions have increased FEHB premiums only 1.3 percent, and that includes treatment for substance abuse which is not part of the Wellstone bill.

Even these very small cost estimates are probably high because they do not factor in the cost savings resulting from parity.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates the cost of untreated mental illness, including criminal justice and social welfare costs, at about $300 billion a year.

A 1999 Surgeon General report on mental illness estimates the direct business costs of lack of parity at $70 billion a year, mostly in reduced productivity and increased use of sick leave.

By comparison, when workers with depression were treated with prescription medications, medical costs declined by $882 per employee per year, and absenteeism dropped by 9 days, according to a study published in the Health Economics journal.

Why single out people with mental illness to hold down health care costs? Why not deny treatment for heart disease or diabetes or cancer? Psychiatric treatment does cost money, but so do heart surgeries, kidney dialysis, and chemotherapy.

Health insurers are using incorrect and outdated ideas about the nature and causes of mental illness to deny millions of Americans essential health care and maximize their profits.

Thirty-four States already have mental health parity laws on the books, but the laws vary widely. Many cover only a handful of illnesses, and they cannot cover large, multistate employers or employers who self-insure. Only a Federal law can guarantee real mental health parity for all Americans.

Last October, on the first anniversary of the plane crash that killed Paul and Sheila, their daughter Marcia and four others, I asked unanimous consent that the Senate take up and pass the Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act. It would have been a perfect tribute to Paul.

The Republican leadership blocked that request, but they gave us their word that the Senate would consider the Wellstone mental health bill early this year. We are now closing in on the Memorial Day recess. Time is fast running out on this Congress, too. We have been waiting months now to see a proposed amendment from Senator Gregg and the scope of the bill.

On June 10, people are coming to Washington from all over America for a mental health rally to urge passage of the Wellstone bill.

Two years ago in New Mexico, the President said he would work with Congress to help press a mental health parity bill. The true test of the President's leadership is not what the President says; it is his ability to convince Republican leaders in the House and Senate to allow votes on the bill.

Congress can pass this bill quickly, if the President will help. We cannot do this alone; we need his help. What we cannot do is allow mental health benefits to be a luxury only for the very wealthy or the very fortunate.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Nevada for his eloquent comments regarding our deceased colleague. I share his admiration for our departed colleague. He was

a man who had passion, conviction, and yet a good sense of humor that allowed that passion and conviction to be embraced by even those who may not have agreed with him on every issue. But his passion about mental health, his conviction that it was the right thing for us to do, to pass mental health parity, lasts way beyond his life. It is not only in tribute to Paul, but I think in recognition of the appropriateness of his conviction and his passion that we remind our colleagues of the debt we owe to him and to our country in passing meaningful legislation at long last to address this embarrassment and this extraordinary deficiency in society today.

I again thank the Senator from Nevada and yield the floor.

Exhibit 1

366 Organizations Supporting the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable

Treatment Act

Advocates for Youth, Alaska State Medical Association,

Alliance for Aging Research, Alliance for Children and

Families, Alliance For Mental Health Consumers Rights,

Alzheimer's Association, American Academy of Child and

Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery,

American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of

Neurology, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American

Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, American

Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Physical Medicine

and Rehabilitation, American Academy of Physician Assistants,

American Academy of Psyciatry and the Law, American Academy

of Sleep Medicine, American Association for Geriatric

Psychiatry, American Association for Marriage and Family

Therapy, American Association for Psychosocial

Rehabilitation.

American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American

Association of Children's Residential Centers, American

Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American

Association of Pastoral Counselors, American Association of

Practicing Psychiatrists, American Association of School

Administrators, American Association of Suicidology, American

Association on Mental Retardation, American Board of

Examiners in Clinical Social Work, American College of

Cardiology, American College of Chest Physicians, American

College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Medical

Genetics, American College of Mental Health Administration,

American College of Nurse-Midwives, American College of

Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of

Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American College of

Osteopathic Family Physicians, American College of

Osteopathic Surgeons, American College of Physicians.

American College of Preventive Medicine, American College

of Radiology Association, American College of Surgeons,

American Congress of Community Supports and Employment

Services (ACCSES), American Counseling Association, American

Diabetes Association, American Family Foundation, American

Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, American

Federation of Teachers, American Foundation for Suicide

Prevention, American Gastroenterological Association,

American Geriatrics Society, American Group Psychotherapy

Association, American Heart Association, American Hospice

Foundation, American Hospital Association, American Humane

Association, American Jail Association, American Managed

Behavioral Healthcare Association (AMBHA), American

Medical Association.

American Medical Directors Association, American Medical

Group Association, American Medical Rehabilitation Providers

Association, American Medical Student Association, American

Mental Health Counselors Association, American Music Therapy

Association, American Network of Community Options and

Resources, American Nurses Association, American Occupational

Therapy Association, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle

Society, American Orthopsychiatric Association, American

Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, American Osteopathic

Association, American Pediatric Society, American Political

Science Association, American Psychiatric Association,

American Psychiatric Nurses Association, American

Psychoanalytic Association, American Psychological

Association, American Psychotherapy Association.

American Public Health Association, American School

Counselor Association, American School Health Association,

American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry, American Society

for Clinical Pathology, American Society of Addiction

Medicine, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American

Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Clinical

Pharmacology, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American

Therapeutic Recreation Association, American Thoracic

Society, America's Health Together, Anna Westin Foundation,

Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc., Anxiety

Disorders Association of America, Arizona Medical

Association, Arkansas Medical Society, Association for the

Advancement of Psychology, Association for Ambulatory

Behavioral Healthcare.

Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc.,

Association for Science in Autism Treatment, Association of

American Medical Colleges, Association of Asian Pacific

Community Health Organizations, Association of Jewish Aging

Services of North America, Association of Jewish Family &

Children's Agencies, Association of Maternal and Child Health

Programs, Association of Medical School Pediatric Department

Chairs, Association of Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle

Surgeons, Association of University Centers on

Disabilities, Association to Benefit Children, Attention

Deficit Disorders Association, Autism Society of America,

Barbara Schneider Foundation, Bazelon Center for Mental

Health Law, Brain Injury Association of America, Inc.,

California Medical Association, Camp Fire USA, The Carter

Center, Catholic Charities USA.

Center for the Advancement of Health, Center for Women

Policy Studies, Center on Disability and Health, Center on

Juvenile and Criminal Justice, Central Conference of American

Rabbis, Chicago Public Schools, Child & Adolescent Bipolar

Foundation, Child Neurology Society, Children and Adults with

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Children's Defense

Fund, Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty, Children's

Hospital Boston, Child Welfare League of America, Christopher

Reeve Paralysis Foundation, Church of the Brethren Washington

Office, Clinical Social Work Federation, Coalition for

Juvenile Justice, College of Psychiatric and Neurologic

Pharmacists, Colorado Medical Society, Commission on Social

Action of Reform Judaism.

Connecticut State Medical Society, Corporation for the

Advancement of Psychiatry, Council for Exceptional Children,

Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation,

Council on Social Work Education, County of Santa Clara, CA,

Cure Autism Now, Dads and Daughters, Depression and Bipolar

Support Alliance, Disability Rights Education and Defense

Fund, Inc., Disability Service Providers of America, Disabled

American Veterans, Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD)

of the Council for Exceptional Children, Easter Seals, Eating

Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action, Employee

Assistance Professionals Association, Epilepsy Foundation,

Families For Depression Awareness, Families USA, Family

Violence Prevention Fund, Family Voices, Federation of

American Hospitals.

Federation of Behavioral, Psychological & Cognitive

Sciences, Federation of Families for Children's Mental

Health, Florida Medical Association, Freedom From Fear,

Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quaker), Harvard

Eating Disorders Center, Hawaii Medical Association, Human

Rights Campaign, Idaho Medical Association, Illinois State

Medical Society, Inclusion Research Institute, Indiana State

Medical Association, Institute for the Advancement of Social

Work Research, International Association of Jewish Vocational

Services, International Association of Psychosocial

Rehabilitation Services, International Community Corrections

Association, International Dyslexia Association,

International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses,

International Spinal Injection Society, Iowa Medical Society.

Iris Alliance Fund, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan

Chicago, Johnson Institute, Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma

and Immunology, Kentucky Medical Association, Kids Project,

Kristen Watt Foundation for Eating Disorder Awareness, Latino

Behavioral Health Association, Learning Disabilities

Association of America, Legal Action Center, Louisiana State

Medical Society, Lutheran Ofc. for Governmental Affairs,

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Services in

America, Maine Medical Association, Massachusetts Medical

Society, MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society, Medical

Association of Georgia, Medical Association of the State of

Alabama, Medical Group Management Association, Medical

Society of Delaware.

Medical Society of the District of Columbia, Medical

Society of New Jersey, Medical Society of the State of New

York, Medical Society of Virginia, Medicare Rights Center,

MentalHealth AMERICA, Inc., Michigan State Medical Society,

Minnesota Medical Association, Mississippi State Medical

Association, Missouri State Medical Association, Montana

Medical Association, NAADAC, The Association for Addiction

Professionals, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the

Good Shepherd, National Alliance for Austism Research,

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, National Alliance for

Research on Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders,

National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Asian

American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association,

National Asian Women's Health Organizations, National

Assembly of Health and Human Service Organizations.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

(NAACP), National Association for the Advancement of

Orthotics & Prosthetics, National Association for Children's

Behavioral Health, National Association for the Dually

Diagnosed, National Association for Medical Direction of

Respiratory Care, National Association for Rural Mental

Health, National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and

Associated Disorders--ANAD, National Association of Case

Management, National Association of Children's Hospitals,

National Association of Community Health Centers, National

Association of Counties, National Association of County

Behavioral Health Directors, National Association of County

and City Health

Officials, National Association of Development Disabilities

Councils, National Association of Mental Health Planning &

Advisory Councils, National Association of Pediatric Nurse

Practitioners, National Association of Protection and

Advocacy Systems, National Association of Psychiatric Health

Systems, National Association of School Nurses, National

Association of School Psychologists.

National Association of Social Workers, National

Association of State Directors of Special Education, National

Association of State Mental Health Program Directors,

National Center for Policy Research for Women & Families,

National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, National

Coalition Against Domestic Violence, National Coalition for

the Homeless, National Coalition of Mental Health Consumers

and Professionals, National Committee to Preserve Social

Security and Medicare, National Council for Community

Behavioral Healthcare, National Council of Jewish Women,

National Council of La Raza, National Council on the Aging,

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, National

Council on Family Relations, National Council on Problem

Gambling, National Council on Suicide Prevention, National

Down Syndrome Congress, National Down Syndrome Society,

National Eating Disorders Association.

National Educational Alliance for Borderline Personality

Disorder, National Education Association, National Exchange

Club Foundation, National Foundation for Depressive Illness,

National Health Council, National Health Law Program,

National Hispanic Medical Association, National Hopeline

Network, National Housing Conference, National Latino

Behavioral Health Association, National Law Center on

Homelessness & Poverty, National Leadership on African

American Behavioral Health, National League of Cities,

National Medical Association, National Mental Health

Association, National Mental Health Awareness Campaign,

National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse,

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Network for

Youth, National Organization for Rare Disorders.

National Organization of People of Color Against Suicide,

National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, National

Osteoporosis Foundation, National Partnership for Women and

Families, National PTA, National Recreation and Park

Association, National Rural Health Association, National

Schizophrenia Foundation, National Senior Citizens Law

Center, National Therapeutic Recreation Society, National

Treatment and Research Advancements Association for

Personality Disorder, Native American Counseling Inc.,

Nebraska Medical Association, NETWORK, a Catholic Social

Justice Lobby, Nevada State Medical Association, New

Hampshire Medical Society, New Mexico Medical Society, NISH

(National Industries for the Severely Handicapped), North

american Association of Masters in Psychology, North Carolina

Medical Society.

North Dakota Medical Association, Obsessive Compulsive

Foundation, Office & Professional Employees International

Union, Ohio State Medical Association, Oklahoma State Medical

Association, Older Adult Consumer Mental Health Alliance,

Oregon Medical Association, Organization of Student Social

Workers, Partnership for Recovery, Pennsylvania Medical

Society, People For the American Way, People With

Disabilities Foundation, Physicians for Social

Responsibility, Presbyterian Church (USA), Washington Office,

Prevent Child Abuse America, Rebecca Project for Human

Rights, Renfrew Center Foundation, Rhode Island Medical

Society, Samaritans Suicide Prevention Center, School Social

Work Association of America.

Screening for Mental Health, Inc., Service Employees

International Union, Shaken Baby Alliance, Sjogren's Syndrome

Foundation, Society for Adolescent Medicine, Society for

Pediatric Research, Society for Personality Assessment,

Society for Public Health Education, Society for Research

on Child Development, Society for Social Work Research,

Society for Women's Health Research, Society of American

Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons, Society of Medical

Consultants to Armed Forces, Society of Professors of

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Society of Thoracic

Surgeons, South Carolina Medical Association, South Dakota

State Medical Association, STOP IT NOW!, Suicide Awareness

Voice of Education, Suicide Prevention Action Network USA,

Tennessee Medical Association.

Texas Medical Association, The Arc of the United States,

Title II Community AIDS National Network, Tourette Syndrome

Association, Treatment and Research Advancements Association

for Personality Disorder, Union of American Hebrew

Congregations, Unitarian Universalist Association of

Congregations, United Cerebral Palsy Association, United

Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministry, United Jewish

Communities, United Methodist General Board of Church and

Society, Utah Medical Association, Vermont Medical Society,

Volunteers of America, Washington State Medical Association,

Wellstone Action, West Virginia State Medical Association,

Wisconsin Medical Society, Working Assets, Women of Reform

Judaism, Wyoming Medical Society, Yellow Ribbon Suicide

Prevention Program, Youth Law Center.

Mr. President, I would like to use a few minutes of my leader time to talk about a remarkable new effort that is being launched today to try to develop a broader national consensus about the kind of future we want in America and how we can achieve it. It is called the Wellstone Civic Dialog Project. It is being organized by Wellstone Action, a progressive advocacy organization created by Paul and Sheila Wellstone's sons Mark and David to keep their parents' work and spirit alive.

The first meetings will be held this evening. In what may be the largest book group ever, thousands of ordinary Americans in 40 States will meet in private homes, schools, churches, community centers, bookstores, and hundreds of other places to discuss the direction and the future of our Nation. Those attending the discussion are encouraged to read a book Senator Wellstone wrote which was published the year before he died. It is called ``The Conscience Of A Liberal.'' If the title evokes memories of another book, it is deliberate.

In the introduction of his own book, Paul recalled the good-natured ribbing some of his Republican colleagues gave him when he attended Barry Goldwater's funeral service.

They gave me Goldwater's ``The Conscience of a

Conservative'' to read on the plane. ``Paul,'' they said,

``read this; we read this book at young ages and it set us on

the right path. We still have hope for you.''

Paul replied that he, too, had read Senator Goldwater's book at a young age and explained: ``That's why I'm a liberal.''

``But,'' he said, ``I also told them that I admired Barry Goldwater for his political integrity.''

More than almost anyone else I have ever known, Paul Wellstone had an unshakable faith in the fundamental decency of most people and in the genius of democracy. He believed if we

faced our challenges squarely and listened respectfully to each other, we would discover that most of us share the same values, the same concerns, and the same dreams; that we would also discover the solutions and strength to overcome almost any obstacle.

The Wellstone Civic Dialogue Project is an attempt to bring ordinary Americans together to develop a consensus to move America in a more humane, more progressive direction. It is what Paul called ``citizen democracy.''

Groups will meet in more than 600 communities throughout America. In a touch that I am sure Paul Wellstone and Barry Goldwater would have appreciated greatly, in several of the groups self-declared Republicans and Democrats have agreed to sit face to face and discuss their ideas and values.

The first meetings, as I said, will take place this evening in more than 600 communities throughout America. A topic for tonight's discussion is ``Can we dream again?'' It is a reference to a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt that Paul loved and preached often. The future will belong to those ``who believe in the beauty of their dreams.''

It is expected that groups will meet as many as eight additional times over the next several months to discuss issues ranging from education and health care, to domestic violence, money and politics, and the war in Iraq. Anyone interested in attending a Civic Dialog Project discussion can go to the Wellstone Action Web site, www.wellstone.org, to find a discussion group near them or to download study guides for any of the discussion topics.

If there isn't a group in your neighborhood, you might want to consider starting one. The Wellstone Action group has trained hundreds of volunteer facilitators to help people set up and run discussion groups in their own communities.

Before Paul came to the Senate, he was a political science professor. But there was nothing the slightest bit academic or abstract about his politics. He used to say: ``People yearn for a `politics of the center'--not the `center' so widely discussed by politicians and pundits in Washington but, rather, a politics that speaks to the center of people's lives: affordable child care, good education for children, health security, living-wage jobs that will support families, respect for the environment and human rights, and clean elections and clean campaigns.

You can see that yearning today in the record turnouts in Presidential caucuses in primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire, and so many other States. Instead of questioning each other's character and motives and patriotism, people want politicians to talk honestly about the concerns at the center of people's everyday lives.

One of the concerns is the refusal by some insurers to provide fair and equitable treatment for people with mental illness. Nothing made Paul angrier nor offended him more deeply than the stigma attached to mental illness and the discrimination and suffering that people with mental health problems suffer as a result of that stigma. He thought it was cruel that people with mental health problems often received lesser care than those with physical health problems. He was outraged by the terrible toll such discrimination often takes on people with mental illness and their families. He and Senator Domenici introduced a bill-- now called the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act--to end such discrimination. The bill was reintroduced at the beginning of this Congress, but it has been stalled in committee for more than a year now because of opposition from the insurance industry and its allies.

Last October, on the first anniversary of the plane crash that killed Paul and Sheila, their daughter Marcia, and four others, I asked unanimous consent that the Senate take up and pass the Wellstone Mental Health and Treatment Act. It would have been the perfect tribute to Paul.

The Republican leadership blocked that request. But they gave us their word that the Senate will consider the Wellstone mental health bill early this year. I am here to say, very clearly, that Democrats intend to hold them to that promise.

Like tens of millions of Americans, Paul Wellstone knew well the anguish that mental illness can cause families.

Nearly 50 years ago, when his older brother Stephen was a freshman in college, he suffered a severe mental breakdown. Stephen Wellstone spent the next 2 years in mental hospitals. Eventually, he recovered and graduated from college--with honors--in 3 years. But it took his immigrant parents 20 years to pay off the bill from those 2 years.

In his book, Paul recalled the years that Stephen was hospitalized. ``For two years,'' he wrote, ``the house always seemed dark to me--even when the lights were on. It was such a sad home.''

Fifty years later, there are still far too many sad homes in America; there are still far too many families that are being devastated by the physical and financial consequences of mental health problems. In many cases, they have health insurance. But their insurance companies refuse to pay for the mental health care they or their loved ones need.

I hear from such families every week.

Three days ago, a woman from Sioux Falls called my office. She is about 50. She and her husband have two children, and they have health insurance through his job. Years ago, she suffered one of the most agonizing losses a person can endure: Her 3-year-old daughter died from spinal meningitis.

She now suffers from chronic depression, which she manages with the help of medication and therapy.

Recently, the cost of her medication jumped from $100 a month to $500 a month, and her insurance company informed her that she has now hit their lifetime cap on mental health benefits, so they will no longer pay anything for her medications or her therapy.

So she and her husband now face a choice: pay the entire cost of her prescriptions and her therapy each month, out of pocket, or pay their mortgage.

She was fighting back tears when she called my office. She said, ``If I had a heart ailment, they wouldn't think twice about sending me to a cardiologist. But there's such a stigma associated with mental health.''

She added, ``This isn't something I've chosen any more than people who suffer from diabetes or heart disease chose their conditions.''

What makes her story even more terrible is how many other people in this country are having to fight the same fight, and make the same awful choices. No family is untouched by mental health problems. Fifty- four million Americans suffer from some form of mental illness. They include Republicans, Democrats, and people who don't care at all about party labels.

Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici were about as far apart politically as two people could be. But they shared a common bond: They both had people in their families, who they loved, who were affected by mental illness. They were unlikely but great allies.

In 1996, thanks in large part to their leadership, Congress passed the Mental Health Parity Act. It says that group health plans sponsored by employers with 50 or more workers cannot place annual or lifetime dollars limits on mental health benefits that are more restrictive than their limits for physical health care.

It was an important step forward. But discrimination persists; we know that. Some insurers openly disregard the law. Some have found new ways to restrict mental health benefits. The results can be devastating: unemployment, broken homes, shattered lives, poverty, poor school performance--even suicide.

The Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act does not force employers to offer mental health coverage. It simply says that if employers offer mental health benefits, insurers cannot provide more restrictive coverage for mental health benefits than they do for other medical and surgical benefits.

Some insurers already meet this basic fairness standard. They are to be commended for doing the right thing. But others will not do the right thing unless they are required by law to do so. So Congress needs to act.

The insurance industry claims--incorrectly--that requiring insurers to treat mental illness the same way they treat physical illness will drive premiums up so high that more people will lose their health insurance. Their claims are not true. They are simply scare tactics; we've heard them before.

The truth is, two highly respected organizations have analyzed the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act. The private accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts the bill would increase health insurance premiums by one percent. One percent. That works out to $1.32 per month. The Congressional Budget Office predicts an even smaller average increase: nine-tenths of 1 percent. I think most families would consider that was a very good deal.

Senators Domenici and Wellstone modeled their bill on the mental health parity provisions on the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. For 3 years, Senators and the other 8.5 million members of that program have had the protection of genuine mental health parity. According to the Office of Personnel Management, it has increased premiums only 1.3 percent. And that includes parity for substance abuse services, which are not included in the Wellstone mental health bill.

Nearly 2 years ago, President Bush said, ``Our country must make a commitment: Americans with mental illness deserve our understanding and they deserve excellent care. They deserve a health care system that treats their illness with the same urgency as physical illness.'' We urge the President to back up his words with leadership.

The Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act is cosponsored by 68 Senators--more than two-thirds of this Senate. It is also supported by more than 360 national organizations--90 of which have added their support just since October.

Groups endorsing the Wellstone bill include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Alzheimer's Association, the National PTA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Catholic Charities, the National Association of Counties, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, the National Rural Health Association, the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and many other groups.

I ask unanimous consent that the complete list be inserted at the close of my remarks in the Congressional Record.

Mr. President, nearly 50 years after mental illness brought such sadness and financial strain to Paul Wellstone, doctors and scientists have made great strides in understanding and treating many mental health problems. But those advances mean little to those who cannot afford them.

In South Dakota and throughout America, there are still too many homes that seem dark even when the lights are on. There are too many people who are being denied essential mental health care because of arbitrary decisions by insurance companies putting profits ahead of people.

The Wellstone bill can change that. We have a commitment from the Majority Leader that the Senate will deal with this issue early this year. We are determined to see that that happens.

I yield the floor.

Exhibit 1

361 organizations supporting the paul wellstone mental health equitable

treatment act (domenici/kennedy (s. 486) and kennedy/ramstad (h.r.

953)), january 29, 2004

Advocates for Youth

Alaska State Medical Association

Alliance for Aging Research

Alliance for Children and Families

Alliance For Mental Health Consumers Rights

Alzheimer's Association

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Neurology

American Academy of Ophthalmology

American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

American Academy of Physician Assistants

American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law

American Academy of Sleep Medicine

American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry

American Association For Marriage and Family Therapy

American Association for Psychological Rehabilitation

American Association for Thoracic Surgery

American Association of Children's Residential Centers

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists

American Association of Pastoral Counselors

American Association of Practicing Psychiatrists

American Association of School Administrators

American Association of Suicidology

American Association on Mental Retardation

American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work

American College of Cardiology

American College of Chest Physicians

American College of Emergency Physicians

American College of Medical Genetics

American College of Mental Health Administration

American College of Nurse-Midwives

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians

American College of Osteopathic Surgeons

American College of Physicians

American College of Preventive Medicine

American College of Radiology Association

American College of Surgeons

American Congress of Community Supports and Employment

Services (ACCSES)

American Counseling Association

American Diabetes Association

American Family Foundation

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

American Federation of Teachers

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

American Gastroenterological Association

American Geriatrics Society

American Group Psychotherapy Association

American Heart Association

American Hospice Foundation

American Hospital Association

American Humane Association

American Jail Association

American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association (AMBHA)

American Medical Association

American Medical Directors Association

American Medical Group Association

American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association

American Medical Student Association

American Mental Health Counselors Association

American Music Therapy Association

American Network of Community Options and Resources

American Nurses Association

American Occupational Therapy Association

American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society

American Orthopsychiatric Association

American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics

American Osteopathic Association

American Pediatric Society

American Political Science Association

American Psychiatric Association

American Psychiatric Nurses Association

American Psychoanalytic Association

American Psychological Association

American Psychotherapy Association

American Public Health Association

American School Counselor Association

American School Health Association

American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry

American Society for Clinical Pathology

American Society of Addiction Medicine

American Society of Anesthesiologists

American Society of Clinical Oncology

American Society of Clinical Pharmacology

American Society of Plastic Surgeons

American Therapeutic Recreation Association

American Thoracic Society

America's HealthTogether

Anna Westin Foundation

Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc.

Anxiety Disorders Association of America

Arizona Medical Association

Arkansas Medical Society

Association for the Advancement of Psychology

Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare

Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc.

Association for Science in Autism Treatment

Association of American Medical Colleges

Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations

Association of Jewish Aging Services of North America

Association of Jewish Family & Children's Agencies

Association of Material and Child Health Programs

Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs

Association of Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons

Association of University Centers on Disabilities

Association to Benefit Children

Attention Deficit Disorders Association

Austism Society of America

Barbara Schneider Foundation

Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Brain Injury Association of America, Inc.

California Medical Association

Camp Fire USA

The Carter Center

Catholic Charities USA

Center for the Advancement of Health

Center for Women Policy Studies

Center for Disability and Health

Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice

Central Conference of American Rabbis

Chicago Public Schools

Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation

Child Neurology Society

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity

Disorder

Children's Defense Fund

Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty

Children's Hospital Boston

Child Welfare League of America

Crhistopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation

Church of the Brethren Washington Office

Clinical Social Work Federation

Coalition for Juvenile Justice

College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists

Colorado Medical Society

Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism

Connecticut State Medical Society

Corporation for the Advancement of Psychiatry

Council for Exceptional Children

Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation

Council on Social Work Education

County of Santa Clara, CA

Cure Autism Now

Dads and Daughters

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc.

Disability Service Providers of America

Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for

Exceptional Children

Easter Seals

Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action

Employee Assistance Professionals Association

Epilepsy Foundation

Families For Depression Awareness

Families USA

Family Violence Prevention Fund

Family Voices

Federation of American Hospitals

Federation of Behavioral, Psychological & Cognitive Sciences

Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health

Florida Medical Association

Freedom From Fear

Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quaker)

Harvard Eating Disorders Center

Hawaii Medical Association

Human Rights Campaign

Idaho Medical Association

Illinois State Medical Society

Inclusion Research Institute

Indiana State Medical Association

Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research

International Association of Jewish Vocational Services

International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation

Services

International Community Corrections Association

International Dyslexia Association

International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses

International Spinal Injection Society

Iowa Medical Society

Iris Alliance Fund

Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago

Johnson Institute

Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Kentucky Medical Association

Kids Project

Kristen Watt Foundation for Eating Disorder Awareness

Latino Behavioral Health Association

Learning Disabilities Association of America

Legal Action Center

Louisiana State Medical Society

Lutheran Ofc. for Governmental Affairs, Evangelical Lutheran

Church in America

Lutheran Services in America

Maine Medical Association

Massachusetts Medical Society

MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society

Medical Association of Georgia

Medical Association of the State of Alabama

Medical Group Management Association

Medical Society of Delaware

Medical Society of the District of Columbia

Medical Society of New Jersey

Medical Society of the State of New York

Medical Society of Virginia

Medicare Rights Center

MentalHealth AMERICA, Inc.

Michigan State Medical Society

Minnesota Medical Association

Mississippi State Medical Association

Missouri State Medical Association

Montana Medical Association

NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals

National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

National Alliance for Autism Research

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill

National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Affective

Disorders

National Alliance to End Homelessness

National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health

Association

National Asian Women's Health Organization

National Assembly of Health and Human Services Organizations

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

(NAACP)

National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics &

Prosthetics

National Association for Children's Behavioral Health

National Association for the Dually Diagnosed

National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory

Care

National Association for Rural Mental Health

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated

Disorders--ANAD

National Association of Case Management

National Association of Children's Hospitals

National Association of Community Health Centers

National Association of Counties

National Association of County Behavioral Health Directors

National Association of County and City Health Officials

National Association of Developmental Disabilities Councils

National Association of Mental Health Planning & Advisory

Councils

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems

National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems

National Association of School Nurses

National Association of School Psychological

National Association of Social Workers

National Association of State Directors of Special Education

National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

National Center for Policy Research for Women & Families

National Center on Institutions and Alternatives

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

National Coalition for the Homeless

National Coalition of Mental Health Consumers and

Professionals

National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare

National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare

National Council of Jewish Women

National Council of La Raza

National Council on the Aging

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence

National Council on Family Relations

National Council on Problem Gambling

National Council on Suicide Prevention

National Down Syndrome Congress

National Down Syndrome Society

National Eating Disorders Association

National Educational Alliance for Borderline Personality

Disorder

National Education Association

National Exchange Club Foundation

National Foundation for Depressive Illness

National Health Council

National Health Law Program

National Hispanic Medical Association

National Hopeline Network

National Housing Conference

National Latino Behavioral Health Association

National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty

National Leadership on African American Behavioral Health

National League of Cities

National Medical Association

National Mental Health Association

National Mental Health Awareness Campaign

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Network for Youth

National Organization for Rare Disorders

National Organization of People of Color Against Suicide

National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

National Osteoporosis Foundation

National Partnership for Women and Families

National PTA

National Recreation and Park Association

National Rural Health Association

National Schizophrenia Foundation

National Senior Citizens Law Center

National Therapeutic Recreation Society

National Treatment and Research Advancements Association for

Personality Disorder

Native American Counseling, Inc.

Nebraska Medical Association

NETWORK, a Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Nevada State Medical Association

New Hampshire Medical Society

New Mexico Medical Society

NISH (National Industries for the Severely Handicapped)

Northamerican Association of Masters in Psychology

North Carolina Medical Society

North Dakota Medical Association

Obsessive Compulsive Foundation

Office & Professional Employees International Union

Ohio State Medical Association

Oklahoma State Medical Association

Older Adult Consumer Mental Health Alliance

Oregon Medical Association

Organization of Student Social Workers

Partnership for Recovery

People For the American Way

Pennsylvania Medical Society

Presbyterian Church (USA), Washington Office

Prevent Child Abuse America

Rebecca Project for Human Rights

Renfrew Center Foundation

Rhode Island Medical Society

Samaritans Suicide Prevention Center

School Social Work Association of America

Service Employees International Union

Shaken Baby Alliance

Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation

Society for Adolescent Medicine

Society for Pediatric Research

Society for Personality Assessment

Society for Public Health Education

Society for Research on Child Development

Society for Social Work Research

Society for Women's Health Research

Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons

Society of Medical Consultants to Armed Forces

Society of Professors of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Society of Thoracic Surgeons

South Carolina Medical Association

South Dakota State Medical Association

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, a number of us have come to the floor today to remember and celebrate someone most of us knew and many of us loved. Paul Wellstone believed that politics is about more than money; it is about more than power. As he said so often, in the last analysis politics is what we create by what we do, by what we hope for, by what we dare to imagine. Paul Wellstone dared to imagine so much.

There is a quote he loved from the famous abolitionist, Wendell Phillips. One day, after Phillips had given a speech, a friend told him: Wendell, you were on fire.

Phillips replied: Brother, I'm on fire because I have mountains of ice before me to melt.

Paul Wellstone saw good in everyone, including people whose politics he disagreed with strongly and who disagreed just as strongly with him, but Paul also saw injustice and he had the fire and the conviction to end it.

He used his wit, his charm, his astonishing organizing abilities and every ounce of his hyperkinetic energy to fight for people with few champions in places of power. He fought for family farmers on the edge of foreclosure. He fought for workers facing layoffs, for older people trying to decide which prescription to fill this month. He and Sheila, his indispensable partner, fought for women and children threatened by violence. He fought for teachers and coal miners, for Vietnam veterans. He fought for immigrant parents who work at less than minimum wage jobs and who worry about not being able to give their children what they need. He listened to them and looked them in the eye, and when he did he used to say he saw his own parents. He gave voice to the voiceless. He demanded fairness for those to whom life had been unfair. He gave people hope and courage.

He himself had that rarest sort of courage. It was a moral courage. Even when he knew the vote was likely to be

99 to 1, he was not afraid to speak and vote his conscience. It was a reflection of his respect for the people who elected him, that he trusted they would respect him for doing what he believed was right.

Saturday we mark the 1-year anniversary of the plane crash on the Iron Range that claimed the lives of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, their beloved middle child, Marcia Wellstone Marcus, their campaign aides and friends, Mary McEvoy, Tom Lapic, Will McLaughlin, and their pilots, Richard Conry and Michael Guess.

To keep their parents' work alive, Paul and Sheila's other two children, Mark and David, have started a progressive democracy organization. Through their advocacy, which they call, appropriately, Wellstone Action, the spirit of Paul and Sheila is very much alive.

If you go to the Wellstone Action Web site, you can read hundreds of messages from people the Wellstones inspired. One is from John Nichols, the editorial page editor of The Capital Times newspaper in Madison, WI, and the Washington correspondent for The Nation magazine. Mr. Nichols was in rural Wisconsin at a conference of family farm advocates. He had just finished giving the keynote address about the need for activists to go into politics when the news came. When he told the audience, he wrote:

Cries of, ``No'' and ``My God, my God'' filled the room.

Grown men felt for tables to keep their balance. Husbands and

wives hugged one another and everyone began an unsuccessful

effort to choke back tears. People wept in silence until

finally a woman began to recite the Lord's Prayer for the son

of Russian Jewish immigrants who had touched the lives and

heart of solid Midwestern Catholic and Lutheran farmers who

do not think of themselves as having many friends in

Congress.''

Another message is from a man who was a junior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. When he volunteered to help on Paul's first and improbable Senate campaign in 1990, they met when Paul visited the campus for a Fourth of July parade. He writes:

It was stifling hot that day in St. Cloud--at least 95

degrees with stick-to-your-shirt humidity. The plan was for

the two staffers and me to hand out Wellstone literature

while Paul would walk along and wave to the crowd. Much to my

amazement, Paul proceeded to run--not walk, not even jog, but

to run from left to right, for the entire two-mile route,

which took about an hour to complete--trying to shake the

hand of every single parade-goer.

Almost no one knew who he was--and most probably weren't

likely Wellstone voters, anyway. Didn't matter. He even said

that to people . . .

``Vote for me or vote for someone else. Just make sure you

vote in November.'' He was always moving, always smiling,

always talking.

This former campaign volunteer wrote that when he got back to his dorm room he called a few friends and told them: You wouldn't believe the guy I just met. I don't think he has a prayer of winning but, by God, it is not going to be for lack of effort.

In the last few years Paul didn't run much. He had that pronounced limp that he and his doctors first attributed to old wrestling injuries but that turned out to be a symptom of multiple sclerosis. Even though he was in pain most of the time, his illness never dulled his sense of humor. He joked that at least he had gotten a progressive disease.

His efforts never flagged. Until the end he gave every ounce of energy he had to try to bring hope and help to others.

I have been told there is a tradition in Judaism, on the first anniversary of the death of someone you love, you pray his soul will find proper rest. Well, I loved--I loved Paul Wellstone. But it is still hard to imagine him at rest. I know, with absolute certainty, he would not want us to mark this first anniversary by resting or by talking. How many times did we hear Paul say:

Intentions are good. But it's not intentions that count.

What counts is action.

One of the injustices that made Paul Wellstone the most angry, that offended him the most deeply, was the stigma attached to mental illness and the discrimination and suffering people with mental health problems suffer as a result of that stigma. He thought it was cruel that people with mental health problems very often received lesser care than those with physical health problems. He was outraged by the terrible toll such discrimination often takes on the people with mental illness, and their families.

Unanimous Consent Request--S. 486

So, Madam President, now, in the name of Paul Wellstone, I ask unanimous consent that the HELP Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 486, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act, the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

I am told at the request and on behalf of the majority leader and others on the Republican side, there is an objection to this legislation. I acknowledge that and I present that objection on behalf of the majority leader at this time.

Words alone are just not a fitting tribute to Paul Wellstone, It is the action that counts. I was deeply moved by Senator Domenici's beautiful eulogy for Paul last fall at the memorial for the Wellstones in Washington. In that eulogy Senator Domenici vowed to do everything he could to pass the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act this year. He has worked very hard to keep that promise and we thank him for it. He and Senator Kennedy introduced the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act 8 months ago in the early days of this session. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of Senators Domenici and Kennedy and many others, despite the support of 66 Senators, two-thirds of this Senate, including the distinguished Presiding Officer, despite the fact that the Senate voted overwhelmingly last year to pass this measure as an amendment to the Labor-HHS appropriations bill, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act remains stuck in committee today because of opposition from the insurance industry and its backers.

The insurance industry claims incorrectly that requiring insurers to treat mental illness the same way as they treat physical illness will drive up premiums so high that more people will lose their health insurance. That is not true. Those are the same kinds of scare tactics we have heard from that industry on other occasions.

As another of our departed friends, Senator Moynihan, used to say, everyone is entitled to their own opinion but they are not entitled to their own set of facts.

The truth is, two highly respected organizations have analyzed the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act. The private accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts the bill would increase health insurance premiums by 1 percent--1 percent. That works out to $1.32 per month. I think most families would think that was a very good deal. The Congressional Budget Office predicts an even smaller increase, nine-tenths of 1 percent.

We also know from experience that requiring mental health parity in insurance has a negligible, if any, effect on premiums.

In 1999, President Clinton signed an executive order giving the 8 million Federal workers in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan the same protections the Wellstone bill would extend to others.

On the website of the Federal Office of Personnel Management, there is a list of ``frequently asked questions'' about mental health and substance abuse parity under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan. This is what that website says:

Recent advancements in the treatment and management of

mental illness have left no justifiable rationale for

disparate treatment of mental illness. The National

Institutes of Mental Health informed us that most diagnoses

have well-established biological bases, diagnoses are

reliable, and treatment is effective and affordable.

The website goes on to say:

A growing body of research and actual industry experiences

indicate that parity can be implemented without substantially

increasing premiums, as long as it is coupled with efforts to

manage the benefits.

Those are the facts.

In 1996, Congress passed the Mental Health Parity Act, which was also sponsored by Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici. The 1996 act says that group health plans sponsored by employers with 50 or more workers cannot place annual or lifetime dollars limits on mental health benefits that are more restrictive than their limits for physical health care.

Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici may have seemed like unlikely allies to some, but they shared a deep bond. They had both seen close family members struggle with serious mental illness.

So have many others. Fifty-four million Americans suffer from mental illness.

They include Republicans, Democrats and people who don't care a whit about party labels. No family is untouched by mental illness.

Four days ago I received an email from a man in Sioux Falls. His name is Jamie Snyder.

His wife Bonnie suffered severe abuse in her first marriage and, as a result, she suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. Nine years ago, her doctor and two other doctors--including the head of the American Psychological Association in South Dakota--said she needed to be hospitalized.

Unfortunately, a doctor who worked for Jamie Snyder's employer, which was self-insured--a doctor who was hundreds of miles away in another State and who never laid eyes on Bonnie Snyder--ruled that she didn't need to be hospitalized. So the Snyder's were left with an $8,000 hospital bill.

Jamie Snyder tried for years to resolve this dispute with his employer. When that failed, he hired an attorney and went to court-- only to be told that he couldn't bring a claim because too much time had passed.

Then he started getting calls from bill collectors. In desperation, he signed an agreement with a collection agency that charges exorbitant interest rates. If he misses a payment for any reason, the agency garnishes his wages and adds huge penalties.

Since 1996, Jamie Snyder has paid $8,000 on his initial $8,000 bill. Yet today, he still owes the collection agency $15,950.

Bonnie Snyder still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and now, on top of that, depression and agoraphobia. But she doesn't want to get counseling because she doesn't want to add to her family's debt.

The irony is that she has been on full disability since 1992. The government would rather pay her disability every month than see that she gets the help she needs to return to work and a full life.

Another family in Sioux Falls has a daughter who was always outgoing, socially active--a straight-A student. When she was a freshman in high school, she won debate competitions.

When she was a sophomore, she told her mother, ``I'm a failure'' and admitted she had thought about suicide. It took 4 months to get an appointment with a psychiatrist. Eventually, the young woman received treatment in another State. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Despite that diagnosis, the insurance company refused to pay for her treatment, so her mother was forced to take out a $20,000 mortgage on their home. After a long fight, the insurance company finally paid the bill.

Today, that young woman is a freshman in college. Medications help her control her illness. But they cost $3,000 a month.

She will probably need to take the medications for the rest of her life.

She is covered under her mother's health plan--for now. But that won't always be the case.

She and her mother worry about what will happen when she has to leave her mother's policy. Will she be able to get affordable insurance on her own?

If so, will it pay for the mental health care she needs to stay healthy?

That young woman knows about the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act. She tracks its progress on the Internet.

She is counting on us to do the right thing and help end the stigma and discrimination that makes it even harder for her to live with a tough disease.

There is another young woman in college who is watching what we do on this bill. I know her. Her name is Erica Gitis-Miles. She is a junior at South Dakota State University, my alma mater.

Erica's birth mother drank heavily during her pregnancy and Erica has fetal alcohol syndrome as a result. Erica was neglected by her birth mother and severely abused by her birth mother's boyfriend. She was in and out of 13 foster care placements by the time she was 4 years old. She was adopted into a loving home when she was 7.

Fetal alcohol syndrome causes serious brain damage. Most people struck with that illness also have serious mental health problems.

Erica suffers recurrent depression. A year ago, during a serious depression, Erica cut herself. The doctors who treated her decided that she might be a danger to herself, so Erica was ordered held in a mental health unit for 72 hours.

Her parent's insurance company refused to pay for the hospitalization. They said Erica chose to hurt herself, so it was not their responsibility to pay for her care. So Erica and her parents are stuck with the bill.

She says she is fortunate. Her father is a medical doctor. But she worries about all the families who aren't able to help themselves as they helped her. Who, she asks, will help them?

The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 was an important step forward. But we know that discrimination persists. Insurers have found new ways to restrict mental health benefits.

They continue to discriminate by limiting visits, and requiring higher co-pays and deductibles. And some even continue to impose lower annual and lifetime spending limits for mental illness--and make little effort to deny it.

The results can be devastating: unemployment, broken homes, shattered lives, poverty, poor school performance--even suicide.

A report earlier this year by the GAO showed that at least 12,000 parents a year are forced to give up custody of their children because they cannot get them the mental health care they need. What family values is that?

Wellstone Action has made passing the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act its sole legislative priority for this year.

The Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act also has the support of 274 national organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Alzheimer's Association, the National PTA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Catholic Charities, The National Association of Counties, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, the National Rural Health Association, the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and many other groups.

I ask unanimous consent that the complete list be printed in the Congressional Record at this time.

More than a year and a half ago, in a speech at the University of New Mexico with Senator Domenici by his side, President Bush said:

Our country must make a commitment: Americans with mental

illness deserve our understanding and they deserve excellent

care. They deserve a health care system that treats their

illnesses with the same urgency as physical illness.

In the great consensus-seeking spirit of Paul Wellstone, I must say I agree with the President. I appreciate his words. But words alone will not solve this problem. We urge the President to join us, help us take up and pass the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act now, this year.

Paul was the champion of many causes, but no cause was more dear, more personal to him than making sure people with mental illness are treated fairly, are treated with dignity. Intentions are fine, but it is the actions that count. Millions of American families are counting on us to act for mental health parity. Let us agree to do it now as a tribute to Paul Wellstone, and let us keep his spirit alive.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I come to the floor to talk about one of the things that is so important. Obviously, items connected with terrorism, the war in Iraq have to be dealt with. We have to deal with heightened homeland security and related issues. Health care is an area we need to talk about. Prescription drugs is in the process of this.

One issue that is particularly important is an energy policy. I don't think there has ever been a time when it has been more apparent and more important to deal with energy policy. We have an economy, prices with gas and energy that are high. We have uncertainty, certainly, in the Middle East. We have had a Venezuelan problem. We had a very cold winter. We cannot seem to come together to put together a policy that will allow us to move forward, an aggressive energy policy. I would like to talk briefly about a component of that which I think is very important, and that is an electric component.

I rise today to introduce the Electric Transmission Reliability and Enhancement Act of 2003. It is my intention to build on a changing wholesale, competitive, open access market and to suggest that we build that into a policy. Things have changed in the way energy is generated, the way energy is transmitted, the way energy is sold. We need to change our policy, as well.

Very simply, what we have is: In years past, there was a generator that generated for their own distribution area. That was pretty simple. Prices were controlled. It was a simple technique. Now we have more and more merchant generators, people who do not have a constituency or distribution system of their own but they sell into the marketplace. This is good. There is competition. And we will see more and more of that. But to do that, we have to update our laws and we have to update the regulations that go with that. My legislation would extend and improve open nondiscriminatory access policies. Access to transmission would remove antiquated Federal barriers that stand in the way of competitive wholesale markets. Wholesale markets that are competitive are new. We have to change to meet those needs. We have to encourage increased investments in our transmission system and establish reliability standards.

We saw what happened in California 2 years ago. If there is no reliability, we cannot depend upon getting that energy to people's homes, to businesses, and then we have a very difficult situation.

Particularly what has changed now is it is interstate. For years we grew up with the fact that in your State the State controlled both the generation and the distribution, and that worked well. Now we go across interstate lines and there needs to be something different.

Legislatively we have to pare down our wish list so we get to the bare essentials and keep those things that are necessary.

It seems clear, if we are going to have a truly wholesale market, we need to ensure that all the industry participants play by the same rules. Only Congress can give FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the tools it needs to ensure that all participants get treated fairly in a competitive marketplace. Under the Federal law, currently FERC has no jurisdiction or authority over transmission owned by public power agencies, municipals, cooperatives, yet they want to participate and need to participate and should participate. Many of them--most--are willing to participate.

These nonregulated utilities represent 52 percent of the total, so we do not want to move forward with FERC's so-called market plan. I think it goes too far getting into the authority of the States. But there are some changes that need to be made, and we would like to do that.

We also need to protect those cooperatives. I grew up in a area of cooperatives and spent much of my life working with cooperatives. So we have given that break. Those that sell less than 4 million megawatt hours per year are entirely exempt. We think that is as it should be.

We would repeal the Public Utility Holding Company Act, PUHCA, because it needs to be restructured and the deployment of capital in this industry needs to go where it is desperately needed. We need to do that. There is ample regulation over those investments now in the existing business. We want to make it easier for people to be able to invest, produce competitively, and go into the marketplace.

The Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and the State commissions would still be able to monitor rates and prevent cross- subsidies. So my legislation would prospectively eliminate mandatory purchase and sales obligations of PURPA, one that was put in a very long time ago. Despite the State administering it, it causes favoritism to many utilities and changes things.

Over the years the grid has been protected through voluntary standards and that is exactly right. But what we are now faced with is to have RTOs, regional transportation organizations, where they can make those decisions within the RTO. There would be a Western one, a Midwestern one, a New England one, and so on. But then connecting with those will be an interstate, like an interstate highway. That has to, of course, be organized and controlled by a national group because it serves all these different ones.

So what we need is to modernize our system so we can accommodate things that have changed. Reliability organizations must be run by market participants and be overseen by FERC. Reliability organizations must be made up of representatives of everyone who is affected: residential, commercial, industrial. That can be done, and this provides an opportunity to do that.

During our discussions last year, we were made to address some of the more egregious behavior and found a great deal of issues that needed to be dealt with--market manipulation, those kinds of things. This is very complex. I believe we can address these issues with regulatory agencies, things that truly can exist.

So my legislation would provide a greater price in the transmission of availability of information and outlaw the practice of roundtrip trading. In the past we found some trading where they went around, got it back, made a profit on the sale, and served no one.

We prohibit the reporting of false information for the purpose of manipulating price indices. Again, we go back a little bit to the California situation, where there obviously is a great need to do some opening up so there is visibility of what is happening. That is what we are seeking to do. It would increase civil and criminal penalties for the violation of the Federal Power Act and would accelerate the effective dates of refunds and so on.

In the end, it is about consumers, it is about serving consumers, it is about competition, it is about reliability, it is about keeping the lights on--the part of energy that probably affects more people and more businesses than any other. It is my hope that the Electric Transmission Reliability Enhancement Act of 2003 will produce a more reliable, efficient transmission system, a more dependable and more affordable product for the end user, and perhaps more than anything else, bring our system and our oversight into the modern time of electric generation and transmission.

Things change. We need to change. Now is the time. We will have an energy bill. It needs to have an energy component.

Mr. President, any comprehensive energy bill must contain an electric component. That is why, today, I rise to introduce the ``Electric Transmission and Reliability Enhancement Act of 2003.'' It is my intention to build on the competitive wholesale open access policies adopted by the Congress in the 1992 Energy Policy Act. My legislation would extend and improve these open, non-discriminatory access policies; remove antiquated federal statutory barriers that stand in the way of competitive wholesale markets; encourage increased investment in our transmission system and establish enforceable reliability standards to help ensure the continued reliability of the interstate transmission system.

The state of the industry is far weaker financially than it has been in years. Billions of dollars of shareholder value has evaporated. Access to capital is becoming an important issue for large segments of the industry that are fighting for survival. In addition, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, policy regarding wholesale markets seems to be in a state of constant change. The Standard Market Design, SMD, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, NOPR, has divided regulators and industry participants in a way that may be unprecedented, threatening more years of rulemakings, litigation and regulatory uncertainty.

If we are to legislate successfully, we will have to par down our wish list to the bare essentials, plus those issues necessary for the electric industry to attract the capital it needs to keep our lights on. Last year, the Enron fallout dominated the debate. By being on the defensive most of last year, it was not possible to successfully advance those issues most important to consumers and the industry that serves them.

It seems clear that if truly competitive wholesale markets are to exist, there is a need to ensure that all industry participants play by the same rules. While FERC has tried to ensure this, the Commission's tools are limited. Only Congress can give FERC the tools it needs to ensure that all industry participants in competitive wholesale markets play by the same rules.

The Wyoming State commissioners wrote that ``under present Federal law the FERC has no jurisdiction or authority over transmission facilities owned by public power agencies, municipalities and cooperatives. In the West these types of entities own a substantial portion, perhaps as much as half of the interstate electric transmission system.'' As a matter of fact, in the Western Electric Coordinating Council, an area that encompasses all or part of 11 Western States and parts of Canada, non-FERC jurisdictional facilities account for 52 percent of transmission miles.

The Wyoming commissioners claim that, ``without the full participation of all of those who own transmission in the West, the FERC's wholesale market initiative will fail to provide the full spectrum of benefits Congress expected when it created wholesale electricity markets. System optimization requires that bulk power be able to move freely throughout the interconnected system without regard to who owns the facilities over which the power travels. Removing the institutional impediments to the free movement of bulk power is also requisite to identifying the physical constraints that exist in the western system. Proper planning for the relief of such constraints depends on properly identifying and quantifying them, absent other economic and institutional constraints.''

They go on to say that such a vision for the future of wholesale power markets makes a compelling case for the inclusion of all facilities which can be used to move bulk power across the West, regardless of ownership. Anything less than 100 percent participation by transmission owning entities will simply perpetuate some level of inefficiency in the system and will continue to afford those who do not participate the ability to favor their own generation resources.

My legislation would permit FERC to require certain nonregulated utilities to offer transmission serviced at comparable rates to those they charge themselves, and on terms and conditions comparable to those applicable to jurisdictional public utilities. Currently nonregulated transmitting utilities would not be subject to the full panoply of FERC regulation under this provision. Instead, a ``light handed'' form of regulation would apply and small nonregulated entities, such as those that sell less than 4,000,000 MW/h per year, would be entirely exempt from these nondiscrimination requirements.

It also seems clear that the Public Utility Holding Company Act PUHCA, is hindering necessary restructuring of the industry and the deployment of capital into an industry that desperately needs it. Investors are deterred simply because they do not want to deal with the PUHCA rules and restrictions. If repealed, utility securities will continue to be regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, FERC and most state commissions. Mergers and acquisitions of jurisdictional assets would still require FERC and state commission approval and review by Department of Justice, DOJ, and the Federal Trade Commission, FTC. FERC and State commissions would still be able to monitor rates and prevent cross-subsidies.

Despite State progress in administering the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, PURPA, more in-tune with markets, it is clear that PURPA continues to provide special privileges to certain favored generators at the expense of utilities and their customers. Like PUHCA, PURPA is no longer needed in today's competitive wholesale markets. My legislation prospectively eliminates the mandatory purchase and sell obligations of PURPA.

Over the years the grid has been well protected through voluntary standards established by the North American Electric Reliability Council, NERC, NERC's voluntary reliability standards--which are not enforceable--have generally been complied with by the electric power industry. But with the opening of the wholesale power market to competition, our transmission grid is being used in ways for which it was not designed. New system strains are also being created by the breakup of vertically integrated utilities and by the emergence of new market structures and participants. The results of these changes have been an increase in the number and severity of violations of NERC's voluntary rules.

My legislation converts the existing NERC voluntary reliability system into a mandatory reliability system. A nation-wide organization would have the authority to establish and enforce reliability standards, and take into account regional differences. The new reliability organization will be run by market participants, and will be overseen by the FERC in the U.S. The reliability organization will be made up of representatives of everyone who is affected--residential, commercial and industrial consumers; state public utility commissions; independent power producers; electric utilities and others. There is no question that we need a new system to safeguard the integrity of our electric grid. My legislation would do this, using language that was effectively agreed upon last fall by House and Senate conferees for the energy bill.

During discussions last year, efforts were made to address some of the more egregious behavior and attempted market manipulation through legislation. While this area is obviously very complex, I believe that we need to address this issue if regulatory gaps truly do exist. I realize my attempt might not be perfect, but I wanted to intimate discussion on this very important topic if, in fact, regulatory agencies do need additional authority to police and monitor the industry.

My legislation will provide greater price and transmission availability information, outlaw the practice of round trip trading and prohibit reporting of false information for the purpose of manipulating price indices. In addition, I've included authority the FERC has requested and that would increase civil and criminal penalties for violation of the Federal Power Act and accelerate the refund effective date to the date of filing of a complaint.

In the end it's about the consumer. It is my hope and vision that the ``Electric Transmission and Reliability and Enhancement Act of 2003'' I am introducing today will produce a more reliable and efficient transmission system and that these improvements will result in a more dependable and affordable product for the end user. This legislation is the best solution to move forward with a better product for all classes of consumers and the industry as a whole.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I join with my colleagues here on the Senate floor today to mark the 1-year anniversary of the tragic death of our friend and beloved colleague, Paul Wellstone, and his wife Sheila.

As I look around the Chamber here in the Senate today, I see men and women of remarkable talents and ability. It is kind of a family here in the Senate. Regardless of our ideological beliefs or party preferences, we all understand what we went through to get here and how we work and what we have to do. We have our differences. We meet, we argue, and we vote. But underneath it all, the Senate is kind of a family. That is good. Like all families, we may have our squabbles, but like a family, I have a strong sense there is kind of a void in our midst. A very special Senator, a Member who played a unique role in this body, is missing. It is as though we are suffering from the phantom-limb syndrome. The phantom-limb syndrome is when a person loses a limb, and even as time goes on, sometimes it feels like it is there. When an issue of moral urgency and an issue of conscience comes to the Senate floor, I still expect to see Paul standing over there chopping the air with his hands, speaking with his own unique special passion, and urging us to do the right thing. Yes, it is like we have the phantom- limb syndrome. Once in a while, you expect to hear Paul speaking out here. He was truly the soul of the Senate.

No one wore the title of Senator better or used it less. He loved ordinary folks. Strangers would come up to him and call him Paul. I can't tell you how many times I would walk off the Senate floor and down the steps with him. We would go together back to the Hart Building or someplace. Policemen would come up. They might say Senator Harkin, but they always called him Paul. People working on the grounds called him Paul. He took that as a sign that ordinary people knew he was one of them; that he was approachable; that he cared, all of which was Paul Wellstone to the core.

Paul had so many friends in my State of Iowa. Iowans knew him personally, and many more Iowans felt they knew him personally. I often said before his death and after that he was one of my best friends in and out of the State. But in truth, Paul Wellstone was one of those rare souls who so many saw as their best friend.

He had a powerful authenticity about him that made a miner on the Iron Range know he was as important to Paul as the President of the United States. Paul never had to proclaim his decency. It shone forth in great acts of political courage and in small acts of human kindness. He never had to say he cared. He never had to proclaim his compassion. We saw these qualities in him every day in dozens of ways--from his passionate speeches here on the Senate floor, standing up for those who otherwise had no voice, to the countless people he reached out to hug and to hear and to help all across Minnesota and all across the Nation.

Thirty years later, he retraced Robert Kennedy's journey to places of hunger and hurt in the heart of America. The hard-working folks he cared about most didn't have lobbyists or influence or money. But they had Paul Wellstone, and he truly was their best friend.

Paul always had a great sense of humor and a sense of perspective. He never took himself too seriously. One of his favorite stories, which I heard him tell many times, was the story of one of his early Senate speeches which he thought was rather eloquent and passionate. You can read about it in his book, ``Conscience of a Liberal.'' Our friend, the senior Senator from South Carolina, who sits across the aisle from me, Fritz Hollings, approached him after the speech and said, ``Young man, you remind me of Hubert Humphrey.'' Paul, as he told the story, swelled up with pride and thought this was wonderful until Senator Hollings said, ``You talk too much.'' Paul would love to tell that story. He would get that big grin and his eyes would squint and he would roar with laughter. As I said, he never took himself seriously.

Paul may have talked a lot, but he meant every word. He showed us that way to lead is by following your conscience. When injustice was proposed or unfairness was advancing or selfishness was on the march, Paul would go into battle. It was OK with him if he went into battle all by himself. Paul Wellstone may have suffered from a bad back, but he had a spine of steel.

Paul was the soul of the Senate. He believed politics could truly be a noble profession, putting principle above polls. Sometimes he cast votes that even some of his friends disagreed with--on war, welfare, education. And when he did, he was the mirror in which we, his colleagues, looked at ourselves and searched our own hearts as to the correctness of our own positions.

So 1 year later, we remember this political science professor whose measure of truth was never in political theory but in the impact our decisions have on real people. We remember the community organizer, the farm organizer, who understood how to bring people together, rural and urban, environmentalists and labor, Republicans and Democrats and, as I have often said, even Minnesotans and Iowans. We remember a leader, a proud Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, a liberal who constantly reminded those who are Democrats that the real center of gravity of our party, the progressive ground of our being, is everyone should have a chance to reach their full potential.

We remember a man of principle who for all his convictions also had the rarest of gifts in politics: Paul actually sometimes came to the conclusion that the other person was right. He could partner with Ted Kennedy or Pete Domenici. He could fearlessly oppose Senator Jesse Helms' views yet become Jesse Helms' friend. It was all perfectly consistent with his guiding star. The decency Paul Wellstone demanded of society was the decency he lived out in his own life.

Paul once said politics is about what we create about what we do, what we hope for, and what we dare to imagine. Paul Wellstone did not just dare to imagine a better America, he helped to build one. Sure, he was willing to fight the lonely fight if he thought it was the right thing to do, but he also knew how to turn idealism into ideas and ideas into actions to improve people's lives: investing in education, expanding health care, fighting killer diseases like Parkinson's, helping homeless veterans and veterans exposed to radiation. Thanks to his hard work in the Senate, farmers have a better future. Because of what he demanded, mental illness will some day be treated equally in our health care system. Because of who he married, Sheila, and because of Sheila's passionate charge, more women and children will find safe harbor from the scourge of domestic abuse.

Paul was a hopeful man. His campaign colors were always green. I always thought that was the color of springtime. It is also the color of hope. This picture captures Paul and Sheila Wellstone, standing on that green bus with all kinds of people around him, smiling, with Sheila standing by his side, and the American flag over his head waving proudly, with a big smile on his face. That was Paul Wellstone.

He bought this bus 13 years ago and used it in his campaigns time and time again. I often said he got that bus on his journey to build a better America. But he never wanted to be on the bus by himself. He never meant it to be a solo voyage. He wanted us all on board that bus.

Although Paul is no longer with us, we all must get on that bus, the bus of hope, the bus leading to a better America, a bus that is on a journey for justice, equality, a bus that is on a journey to ensure every individual in our society, no matter the circumstances of birth, has the potential to reach his or her full potential.

As we listen to the tributes this morning, it is clear our memories of Paul Wellstone remain rich and warm. His spirit is still very much with us. He still inspires us. He still calls us to conscience. He still makes us smile when we think of his puckish humor.

Today, 1 year later, let's agree that our period of grieving has passed. The darkness has dissipated. What remains is the light Paul radiated every day in this Chamber. He was truly the finest of human nature.

In addition to Paul and Sheila, six other wonderful people died in that plane crash 1 year ago. Paul would not want us 1 year later to just remember him or to just remember him and Sheila, because as he always said, we are all

part of his family, the campaign workers, the people who flew him around. So we remember them, too: Their daughter, Marcia; Tom Lapic, who died, and was Paul's long-time trusted aide and served many years in Paul's Senate offices here in Washington and St. Paul. We remember and miss Tom today. He was also a member of our Senate family. We remember Mary McEvoy, a professor of early childhood education at the University of Minnesota, always by Sheila Wellstone's side; Will McLaughlin, 23 years old, Paul's driver. Again, Paul always reached out to bring young people into politics. We remember the two pilots, Richard Conry and Michael Guess, of that ill-fated plane.

Finally, there is one piece of Paul's legacy that is not complete, and it has been spoken of by the Senator from Minnesota, Mr. Dayton, and I just heard Senator Reed speak about it, and I know Senator Lautenberg spoke about it: the issue of mental health parity. Paul worked tirelessly to overcome the barriers to mental health treatment. Specifically, he championed legislation that would require group health plans to treat mental health benefits as generously as they do surgical or medical benefits. If Paul were here this morning, he would remind us how crucially important this is to millions of Americans. He and Sheila never faltered on this issue.

I can think of no better way to honor Paul's memory and to complete his legacy than to pass the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act in this Congress. This bill passed the Senate overwhelmingly in the last Congress. It was attached to the appropriations bill in Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee. We took it to conference and the conferees would not agree to adopt it, but we were given assurances this would be addressed. Paul Wellstone was given assurances this would be addressed, that we would pass it in a form--maybe not in an appropriations bill-- but pass it in a form that would then go to the House.

The bill today is supported by an overwhelming number of Senators. Madam President, 67 Senators now are supporting this bill, Republicans and Democrats, including 18 Republicans--at least that is my count on it anyway. So with that many supporting the bill, you would think we would not have much problem getting it through. The American people want this bill desperately. They have waited too long for its passage.

According to the Surgeon General's report, mental disorders collectively account for 15 percent of the overall burden of disease from all causes, and it is even more than the burden associated with all forms of cancer in our society. And yet, how many people burdened with mental disorders cannot get the help they need because their insurance carrier does not cover it and they cannot afford it?

We all know what happens. We know what happens when people have mental problems and they are not treated--things degenerate, families break up, domestic abuse happens, people lose their lives. Sometimes people are thrown in prison for long periods of time because in the beginning they did not get mental health treatment.

I have seen some figures that indicate that close to half of the people serving long-term prison sentences today are there because they have mental disorders--depression, schizophrenia, bipolar illnesses-- which led them through a series of stages that culminated in probably some heinous crime. But in the beginning they did not get the mental health they needed.

So we have waited too long. It is critical we find an opportunity to bring up this bill and pass it before we adjourn this year.

Next week, the HELP Committee, of which I am a member, will be marking up legislation that will provide for parity in insurance coverage for recreational activities, such as riding a motorcycle or skiing. In other words, your insurance carrier has to give you the same coverage for any kind of injury that would happen to you if you were skiing or riding a motorcycle, or something like that, as if it happened purely accidentally some other way. It begs credulity that somehow we can cover that but cannot give mental health parity to people who, through no fault of their own, are suffering from mental illness in our country.

It is this Senator's intention to try to attach this bill to this piece of legislation. We have waited too long. I have been hearing all year that soon we are going to bring up this bill. We have 67 Senators on it. We have waited too long. It is the legacy of Paul Wellstone. We are going to get it passed. And yet, days go by, weeks go by, months go by, and nothing happens.

Now, I am too respectful of the Senate and of the agreements that are reached here to ask unanimous consent that we bring it up and pass it today. Some have suggested we do that in honor of Paul Wellstone, but I know that most Senators are not present. We are not voting today.

But I will say this. There will be some time before we leave this year when I intend to bring up the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act and seek a vote on it, either through committee or on the floor, and somehow try to get it into a conference with the House before the year ends.

President Bush said last spring that he supported mental health parity. So if the White House supports it and the President supports it, and we have so many Senators and Members of the House support it, what is stopping us?

I know some of the big insurance companies and others are kind of opposed to it, but all of the studies we have seen show this is cost- effective. According to SAMHSA, undertreated and untreated mental disorders are costing this Nation over $200 billion a year in lost work, crimes, and incarceration. It is a huge impact on our society, and we have to respond. That is why we have to bring up this bill and get it passed.

I can think of no better time in which to talk about it--and to state, unequivocally, we are going to have a vote on this bill this year--than on this the first anniversary of the death of our beloved colleague, Paul Wellstone, his wife, and those who were with them on that tragic day.

Madam President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.