Floor Statements

Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of 5501 and to congratulate our new chairman of the International Relations Committee and to thank our chairman and to thank our Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen, and particularly congratulate the chairman of the Africa and Global Health Care Subcommittee for writing a bill that clearly reaffirms Congress' commitment to healthy communities, this time with the focus overseas.

As a member of the subcommittee, I'm especially pleased that this bill supports maternal health, orphans, and vulnerable children. Today, in Africa and throughout the world, children are losing their parents to the AIDS epidemic. These same kids will grow up too soon. They will be forced to become caregivers to their own siblings, leaving school, joining the underage workforce, praying that they are not the next in line for the graveyard.

In a world as prosperous as our own, Madam Chairman, it is absolutely unacceptable that this could be happening anywhere. But this bill actually continues our promise to rid the planet of this plague. This bill offers real hope. We invest in treatment, but most importantly, it works towards prevention.

Like many of my colleagues, I'm disappointed that conservative forces pushed to reduce the Reproductive Health Initiative, but the overall result will actually be remarkable. And most importantly, it will be life saving.

I encourage all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 5501 to make this a better place to live in worldwide.

Mr. Speaker, when the American death toll in Iraq hit 4,000 on March 23, there was a great deal of coverage about it in the media. But the media only seems to care about the death toll when it reaches a special milestone. But now that the number of dead has reached 4,012, they have packed up their cameras, they have gone back to ignoring Iraq. Once again, our brave soldiers are dying in virtual anonymity, surely paying the highest price.

Here at home, the administration's occupation policies are harming American people in other ways. I am talking about the millions of Americans who are suffering because we are spending our Nation's treasure in Iraq rather than on vitally-needed social and economic programs here at home. We're spending about $4,600 every second on the occupation, or about $12 billion a month.

Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize winning economist, has calculated that the occupation will ultimately cost $3 trillion, and that, Mr. Speaker, is a conservative estimate. And it will certainly cost a whole lot more if the administration gets its way and we establish permanent bases in Iraq or the others get their way and we remain involved in Iraq for 50 to 100 years.

This enormous drain on our resources has buried us so deeply in debt that we cannot make investments in the programs that would really move our Nation forward. Just think of what we could do with all of those trillions of dollars.

We could invest in the education of the 48 million children in our public schools. We could prepare them to compete and win in the global economy.

We could invest in early childhood education and the childcare that millions of poor and middle-class families so desperately need.

We could invest in the medical research needed to cure disease and to save millions of Americans from needless suffering and from premature death.

We could invest in our infrastructure and new green technologies which could produce millions of jobs around our Nation.

We could produce an economic stimulus package to fulfill remaining unmet needs.

We could help States and cities to provide their first responders with the equipment they need to save lives in the event of terrorism or natural disasters.

We could build more affordable housing and assist those who have been caught up in the mortgage meltdown.

We could provide health care to our citizens, starting with SCHIP for our children.

We could move to ensure the solvency of Social Security.

We could invest in global health. As a member of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, I can tell you that every single dollar spent on global health is a dollar spent to make our world more peaceful and stable.

These are just a few examples, Mr. Speaker. We couldn't do them all, but if we did just a few, we would go much further toward safeguarding our national security than we are currently doing in Iraq.

I hope my colleagues will remember this when General Petraeus arrives next week with his bar charts and statistics. Let us remember that the turmoil in the Middle East is helping to spike gas prices at the pump. It is leading us deeper and deeper into the effects of the Iraq recession.

The responsible redeployment of our troops out of Iraq is the one policy that makes sense, and the one policy that the great majority of the American people support. It is high time for us to do what the American people expect us to do, and they expect us to end our occupation of Iraq.

Madam Speaker, I rise with great pleasure today to honor a leader in my district who has done so much to help the terminally ill and their families face end-of-life issues. Mary Taverna is retiring after more than 30 years with the organization now known as Hospice By the Bay. She leaves behind an enduring legacy of hope and compassion to the people of Marin County, the San Francisco Bay area, and across the United States.

When she first began working as a nurse, Mary was concerned about the terminally ill and the lack of adequate care, so it was a natural step in 1976 for her to join what was then Hospice of Marin, which had been founded the previous year. At that time Hospice of Marin was only the second hospice in the United States, the first on the West Coast, and most Americans were unaware of what the hospice mission was. In fact, even the health care industry resisted it.

Mary was instrumental in changing all that, teaching that hospice was a specially designed program to address the comprehensive needs of the whole family system at the end of life, and that it was part of--not instead of--the health care support team. Two years after coming to Hospice of Mann, Mary became president of the organization. Under her leadership, Hospice nurtured community relationships as well as they did the families they served, including building a partnership with management of both county hospitals. Hospice of Marin is such a model that health care providers come here for training from all parts of the United States.

``I feel a great sense of pride in our organization's leadership and participation in hospice

history,'' Mary once said. ``Twenty-five years ago, we never imagined the number of Americans who would be touched by our efforts.''

A recognized expert and leader of the hospice movement, Mary helped pioneer the advocacy efforts for legislation that led to the introduction in Congress of the Medicare Hospice Benefit in 1982. This bill provided public health care insurance coverage for hospice services, allowing clients to receive compassionate care and hospices to sustain themselves financially. In 1986, the Medicare Hospice Benefit became permanent, eventually leading to private insurance coverage, as well.

To further ensure the sustainability of hospice care in Marin County, in 1997, Mary helped create--and became the president of--the Hospice of Marin Foundation. The foundation's mission is to provide philanthropic support to Hospice operations.

Both the foundation and the hospice programs continued to grow, and over the past few years expanded into San Francisco and Sonoma counties, as well. Consequently, Hospice of Marin no longer described the organization and 2 years ago, the name was changed to Hospice By the Bay.

``In recent years, we were invited into our neighboring communities to share our experience and resources with other hospice communities,'' Mary said of the change, adding that it evolved from a desire to be more inclusive of the bay area, rather than imply a geographic exclusivity.

And truly, there has not been a geographic exclusivity to the effects of Mary's work. The National Hospice Organization in 1995 named her ``the individual who has done the most for hospice in the national and international level.'' Since then, she has been selected to help guide that organization as chair of its board of directors.

Madam Speaker, Mary Taverna's dedication to hospice services, her leadership of Hospice By the Bay and her continued work as chair of the board of the National Hospice Organization have left an indelible mark not only on the Sixth District and the San Francisco Bay area, but on areas throughout the United States. And that is why, Madam Speaker, I honor Mary Taverna on her retirement after more than 30 years of service to a cause forever in her debt.

Mr. Speaker, March was the 20th Annual National Women's History Month. That is why I am so pleased to introduce H. Res. 1021, a resolution to recognize and honor this National Women's History Celebration.

In America, women were once considered second-class citizens, whose rights were restricted from voting to property ownership, actually. But here we are today; one woman is a major candidate for President of our Nation and another woman is Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Sadly, until the late 1970s, women's history wasn't taught in many of our schools, and was almost completely absent in media coverage and cultural celebrations. That is why the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women, which I chaired, initiated a Women's History Week Celebration in 1978. This celebration centered around International Women's History Day.

The National Women's History Project, located in my district, was founded in 1980 by many dedicated women who poured their hearts and their ideas into promoting and expanding the weeklong celebration. With the help of several dedicated women, including Mary Ruthsdotter, Molly Murphy MacGregor, Maria Cuevas, Paula Hammett, and Betty Morgan, thousands of schools and communities joined in the commemoration of Women's History Week by bringing specific lessons on women's achievements into the classroom, by staging parades to engage neighborhoods in the celebration.

Their hard work, their dedication paid off. The celebration started a national movement. And in 1981, Congress responded to the growing popularity of Women's History Week by making it a national observance and eventually expanding the week to a month in 1987. Imagine what American history lessons would be today without the inclusion of Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad operation, or Mary Katherine Goddard, who was the first person to print the Declaration of Independence with the names of all the signers included.

Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in reaffirming our commitment to the celebration of women's history by supporting H. Res. 1021 that will ensure that our grandchildren and our great grandchildren learn and care about women like Amelia Earhart and eventually of course the first woman President.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Waxman, I want to thank Ranking Member Davis, and Chairman Davis for supporting this resolution, as they have continually supported the efforts of all women. Supporting this resolution will make it impossible to study American history without remembering the contributions of women as well. So I thank you all.

Madam Speaker, today is April the 1st, a day that also goes by the nickname April Fool's Day. For most of us, this is a day of trickery that only comes once a year. For the White House, it is a day that comes all too often. The mistruths, the lies, the deceptions, whatever you want to call them, keep flowing out of the White House and from its cronies.

Just the other day, our very own ambassador to Iraq said, and I quote him, ``I think there has to be an honest discussion of the consequences of Iraq.'' An honest discussion. Now? Why didn't the administration do that 5 years ago, I ask you? Just now we need to put on our thinking caps and get serious about Iraq? We are in the sixth year of this occupation, and Ambassador Crocker thinks now is the time to contemplate what is going to happen in Iraq? This is far beyond a day late and a dollar short. They are 5 years late and one-half trillion dollars short.

But this never ending April Fool's Day goes on and on. How about these oldies but goodies:

In July 2002, then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had a one- word answer for reporters who asked whether Iraq had relationships with al Qaeda terrorists. His answer was, ``Sure.''

Vice President Dick Cheney in August 2002 simply stated, ``There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us.''

On January 28, 2003, in his annual State of the Union, the President asserted that the British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. He continued, ``Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production.''

The administration, which has racked up one-half trillion dollars in debt, even made the claim that Iraqi oil would pay for the war and that we would be met with cheers and flowers.

Remember that old proverb: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. But, you know what? The American people were not fooled by these statements, and this Congress mustn't be fooled, either. That is why 92 Members of this House have sent a clear message to the President. We signed a letter stating that we will not support any more blank checks. In fact, we said we will only support appropriating additional funds for U.S. military operations in Iraq during fiscal year 2008 and beyond for the protection and safe redeployment of our troops out of Iraq before President Bush leaves office.

There is absolutely nothing funny about these tricks that the administration has played on this Nation. April Fool's Day ends today. We must not take any more nonsense from the White House, and we must not sign one more blank check.

Madam Speaker, on March 12, 2008, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my votes for rollcall Nos. 135-142.

Had I been present I would have voted: rollcall No. 135--``yes''--On Motion to Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair; rollcall No. 136--``yes''--On Approving the Journal; rollcall No. 137--``yes''-- Kilpatrick of Michigan Substitute Amendment; rollcall No. 138-- ``yes''--Lee of California Substitute Amendment; rollcall No. 139-- ``present''--Call of the House; rollcall No. 140--``no''--Ryan of Wisconsin Substitute Amendment; rollcall No. 141--``yes''--Revising the congressional Budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2008, establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2009, and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2010 through 2013; and rollcall No. 142--``yes''--Recognizing the exceptional sacrifice of the 69th Infantry Regiment, known as the Fighting 69th, in support of the Global War on Terror.

Madam Speaker, I rise with great pleasure to honor a visionary, diplomat, activist, and advocate for peace on the occasion of her receipt of the 2008 Jack Green Civil Liberties Award by the American Civil Liberties Union of Sonoma County. Elizabeth Stinson's work with the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County and her lifetime dedication to human rights have left an enduring legacy.

In 2001, after several years work with the United Nations, where she still retains a position with the UN's International Indigenous Forum, Elizabeth became director of the Peace and Justice Center, helping those Sonoma County residents who are victims of our Nation's most challenging conflicts.

In Santa Rosa, for example, Elizabeth has mediated inter-gang disputes while leading campaigns to end escalating local violence. In 2002, recognizing the need to provide youth with nonviolent choices, she founded the High School Outreach Peace Education, or HOPE, project to educate them about their rights as students, their rights regarding the military, and service learning and internship opportunities.

In addition, through Elizabeth's coordination with courts in three counties, the Peace and Justice Center was established as an authorized diversion program provider for convicted and at-risk teens and young adults.

Under her direction, the Peace and Justice Center has also gained national attention for supporting troops who need a military separation for reasons such as untreated combat-related trauma, repeated deployments, recruiter misrepresentations, and other compelling mental and physical issues. Since the beginning of the occupation of Iraq 5 years ago, Elizabeth and her team of volunteers at the

center have successfully negotiated 850 administrative discharges.

Elizabeth's work continues to have national effect as she provides counseling support to troops testifying at the Winter Soldier hearings in D.C. At an upcoming GI national retreat, she will conduct training on post-traumatic stress for hotline counselors.

Aside from her lifelong international work for human rights, Elizabeth is mother to three adult children and Sanctuary Mom to five, whose father was executed by death squads after helping to found El Salvador's Human Rights Commission.

Madam Speaker, Elizabeth's commitment to the rights of the vulnerable has rightly earned her the 2008 Jack Green Civil Liberties Award. I am honored to have Elizabeth Stinson as my constituent. I commend her for her work and for the well-deserved award being bestowed on her by the ACLU of Sonoma County.

Madam Speaker, on March 14, 2008, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my votes for Rollcall No. 143-146.

Had I been present I would have voted:

Rollcall No. 143--Yes--Providing for the consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 3773) to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes.

Rollcall No. 144--Yes--Providing for the consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 3773) to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes.

Rollcall No. 145--Yes--To amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to establish a procedure for authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence, and for other purposes.

Rollcall No. 146--Yes--On Approving the Journal.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member.

I would like to respond quickly to the ``no public review.'' This bill has been subject to over 3 years of public review. It first faced public scrutiny at a public hearing that I hosted in August of 2004, in Sonoma County, was attended by the Director of the Marine Sanctuary Program, marine scientists, fishermen, and a standing room-only crowd of public who were interested.

It has been reviewed and endorsed by both the Sanctuary Advisory Committees, the bodies who initiate sanctuary regulations; the California Coastal Commission, the State Lands Commission, and the Supervisors of Marin, Sonoma, San Francisco, and Mendocino Counties, and many, many of our City Councils. All of these meetings were noticed, all of them were open to public comment.

The bill also received a hearing before the Oceans Subcommittee, and has gone through committee and subcommittee markup. So thank you for bringing that up so I could clarify that, Mr. Ranking Member.

Madam Speaker, my district, just across the Golden Gate Bridge, north of San Francisco, includes all of Marin and most of Sonoma Counties, where we are blessed with many environmental treasures. In fact, it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I don't say that just because I am the Congresswoman from that area. It is beautiful.

One of the reasons for this source of beauty and our great pride is our pristine coastline and the Pacific Ocean that lies beyond it. An area this unique must be protected by the full power of our conservation laws.

That is why I am pleased that H.R. 1187, the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Boundary Modification and Protection Act, is here before us today.

H.R. 1187 will expand the boundaries of two existing marine sanctuaries in order to more fully protect a unique upwelling system, which is one of only four in the world. This system provides a nutrient rich environment for fish and all other types of marine life.

Upwelling is a process where deep, cold, nutrient-rich waters rise into warmer waters, bringing with it an abundance of food to support a variety of marine life. Actually this area is so special and it is so productive that it

comprises only 1 percent of the ocean, but produces 20 percent of the world's fish. This in turn supports 36 species of marine mammals, including whales, elephant seals, sea lions and other seals.

But it is not only marine mammals who feast on the abundance of fish. The waters off the Sonoma and Mendocino County coasts support fleets of fishermen. That is why I worked so closely with the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishing Associations, the PCFFA, in carefully crafting this bill.

Fishermen have had a good relationship with the Gulf of the Farallones and the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary for over 20 years because they respect that good stewardship of our oceans produces better catches. H.R. 1187 will serve to strengthen this partnership for years and years to come.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 1187 is a well thought out, carefully crafted bill that brings together diverse stakeholders, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, the fishing industry, State and local governments, conservation groups and marine scientists, all who agree that these proposed sanctuary areas are national treasures that absolutely deserve protection.

As a mother and a grandmother, I want to see these treasures protected for years to come so that my kids, so that my grandkids, and so that their children and your children and your grandchildren will be able to enjoy the same unspoiled coasts and clean waters that we enjoy today.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Rahall, Ranking Member Young and Chairwoman Bordallo for bringing my bill to the floor today. I would like to thank Chairman Kennedy and Ranking Member Bishop, all who have been part of reviewing and bringing H.R. 1187 to the floor. I thank you all, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I'm really glad to be back in the House. I've been away for over 6 weeks because of back surgery. I've been patched up, and I'm going to be just fine. I'm not worried about myself. But I'm worried, and I hope every Member of the House is worried about the hundreds of thousands of American soldiers and civilians who have been injured in the conflict in Iraq.

Nearly 30,000, probably many, many more of our brave troops have been wounded.

Many have injuries that will rack their bodies and their minds for the rest of their lives.

Yet Vice President Cheney said last week that President Bush carries the biggest burden of this conflict. Tell that to the widows and widowers, Mr. Vice President. Tell that to the families who have been devastated by the injuries to their loved ones. Tell that to the children who see their mother or father in a hospital bed without a limb or with a terrible head wound. Tell that to the veterans who have not gotten the care they need and the care they deserve, the care we promised them.

One of our soldiers in Iraq, Lieutenant Sean Walsh, wrote a piece for Time magazine recently about the human costs of the occupation. He wrote that his fellow soldiers have become his family and that three of them have died. And he asked the question, ``What is worth the lives of three of your loved ones?'' It is a good question.

And so I would like to ask every Member of this House who supports the occupation the very same question: Is our occupation of Iraq worth the lives of three of your loved ones?

We must also remember the Iraq civilians who have been injured. We seem to forget them, and that is truly a disgrace. According to the best estimates, anywhere from 80,000 to 150,000 civilians have been injured. And the real number, the real number is certainly much, much higher.

What kind of health care are they, the Iraqi civilians, getting? The International Committee of the Red Cross reported last month that public hospitals in Iraq now provide 30,000 beds. Mr. Speaker, that is less than half of the 80,000 that are needed.

In addition, 2,200 doctors and nurses have been killed since the year 2003, and another 250 have been kidnapped. And the current conflict has worsened the impact of the previous war and the years of international sanctions. Of the 34,000 doctors registered in Iraq in 1990, 20,000 have fled the country, some by choice and others by force. What about their burden, Mr. Vice President?

Meanwhile, the administration continues to play its cynical game with troop levels. It is clear that the administration intends to keep 140,000 troops in Iraq until it leaves office in order to put an artificial lid on this violence. That way, the outgoing administration can say that it improved the security situation and that we are on the road to victory in Iraq.

But the truth is, all that has been achieved is a temporary military and

political stalemate, new explosions of violence coming as I stand here speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives.

And while we continue to be bogged down in a civil war in Iraq, a conflict that began centuries before 9/11, the real enemy, al Qaeda, grows stronger in its cozy, safe haven in Pakistan.

The administration is often criticized for not having an exit strategy in Iraq. But in my view, the reason the President never had an exit strategy is because he never intended to exit Iraq. Permanent occupation has always been his game plan.

So, Mr. Speaker, it's up to the Congress to implement the will of the American people and end the occupation with a responsible redeployment of our troops. The best way to honor those who have died or have been injured in this occupation is to ensure that more won't die and more won't be injured.

That is why I will continue to speak up for our brave troops and for the innocent Iraqis who are, despite what the Vice President may think, the ones who are carrying the biggest burden.

Madam Speaker, on March 12, 2008, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my votes for Rollcall Nos. 124-134.

Had I been present I would have voted:

Rollcall No. 124--``no''--On Motion to Adjourn.

Rollcall No. 125--``no''--Resolution Raising a Question of the Privileges of the House.

Rollcall No. 126--``no''--On Motion to Adjourn.

Rollcall No. 127--``no''--On Motion to Adjourn.

Rollcall No. 128--``yes''--On Motion to Table the Resolution.

Rollcall No. 129--``yes''--Providing for the consideration of H. Con. Res. 312, Congressional Budget for the U.S. Government for Fiscal Year 2009.

Rollcall No. 130--``yes''--Providing for the consideration of H. Con. Res. 312, Congressional Budget for the U.S. Government for Fiscal Year 2009.

Rollcall No. 131--``yes''--Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act.

Rollcall No. 132--``yes''--Providing for an adjournment or recess of the two Houses.

Rollcall No. 133--``yes''--Honoring the 200th anniversary of the Gallatin Report on Roads and Canals, celebrating the national unity the Gallatin Report engendered, and recognizing the vast contributions that national planning efforts have provided to the United States.

Rollcall No. 134--``yes''--To temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Madam Speaker, on March 10, 2008, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my votes for rollcall Nos. 111-123.

Had I been present I would have voted:

Rollcall No. 111--``no''--On Motion to Adjourn.

Rollcall No. 112--``no''--On Motion to Adjourn.

Rollcall No. 113--``no''--On Motion to Adjourn.

Rollcall No. 114--``no''--On Motion to Adjourn.

Rollcall No. 115--``yes''--Congratulating Iowa State University of Science and Technology for 150 years of leadership and service.

Rollcall No. 116--``yes''--On Motion to table the appeal of the ruling of the Chair.

Rollcall No. 117--``yes''--The Intelligence Authorization Act of 2008.

Rollcall No. 118--``yes''--Congratulating the University of Kansas football team for winning the 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl and having the most successful year in program history.

Rollcall No. 119--``yes''--Congratulating the women's water polo team of the University of California, Los Angeles, for winning the 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Water Polo National Championship, and congratulating UCLA on its I00th NCAA sports national title, making it the most accomplished athletic program in NCAA history.

Rollcall No. 120--``yes''--On Motion to Adjourn.

Rollcall No. 121--``yes''--Providing for the adoption of the resolution (H. Res. 895) establishing within the House of Representatives an

Office of Congressional Ethics, and for other purposes.

Rollcall No. 122--``no''--Providing for the adoption of the resolution (H. Res. 895) establishing within the House of Representatives an Office of Congressional Ethics, and for other purposes.

Rollcall No. 123--``yes''--On Motion to Adjourn.

Madam Speaker, on March 10, 2008, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my votes for rollcall Nos. 108-110. Had I been present I would have voted: rollcall No. 108--``yea''--National 9-1-1 Education Month; rollcall No. 109--``yea''--E. Arthur Gray Post Office Building; rollcall No. 110--``yea''--Steve W. Allee Carrier Annex Post Office Building.

Madam Speaker, on March 6, 2008, I was unavoidably detained and was not able to record my votes for rollcall Nos. 103-107.

Had I been present I would have voted: rollcall No. 103--``yes''-- Providing for consideration of H.R. 2857, to reauthorize and reform the national service laws; rollcall No. 104--``yes''--Providing for consideration of H.R. 2857, to reauthorize and reform the national service laws; rollcall No. 105--``no''--Flake of Arizona Amendment; rollcall No. 106--``yes''--Inslee of Washington Amendment; rollcall No. 107--``yes''--Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education ``GIVE'' Act.

Mr. Speaker, Despite the fact that 44 million Americans suffer from mental health disorders, a majority of health care plans continue to treat mental health differently than physical health. These plans discriminate against those with mental health disorders by imposing financial limitations and treatment restrictions on mental health and addiction care. Over 80 percent of Americans who need mental health treatment do not seek it because of the restrictions or the cost. This is unacceptable. Americans with mental health disorders need and deserve the same level of coverage as those who suffer from physical disorders, and with the passage of this bill, we can help give them that coverage.

This bill closes the loophole that has allowed plans to charge patients more and impose additional limits for mental health care. Efforts to weaken the bill by allowing plans to determine which mental health benefits to cover or preempting State laws providing stronger mental health protections will allow discrimination to continue against the millions of Americans who need our support in their efforts to seek treatment.

I urge everyone to vote for H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act, and these people whose lives depend on the treatment they need and deserve. Members of Congress have mental health parity. It's high time we provide parity to the 44 million Americans who need it.