Political Quotes

“there was debate on the Senate floor that went on for years. It was a personal thing, a personal issue with two Senators--one was a Republican, the other a Democrat. The Republican was Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico. The Democrat was Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota. The two of them had teamed up with a very simple goal in mind. They wanted to make sure every health insurance policy in America covered mental illness. When you think about the fact that so many Americans suffer from some form of depression and that mental illness is something that so many families--at some point or another--face, you wonder: Well, why didn't the health insurance policies cover mental illness? The reason, of course, was that it takes some extended, and oftentimes expensive, care to help those with mental illness. In other cases, there was an argument made that you will not find a cure. Things have changed a lot in the world of mental illness over the last few decades and changed for the better. There are new medications that are available and some even better ones on the way. There is new treatment available and more hope for people. Pete Domenici, a Republican from New Mexico, and Paul Wellstone, a Democrat from Minnesota, did not give up. They insisted on it, and they won. They won with the requirement that health insurance policies cover not just mental illness and treatment but also substance abuse treatment. I will be honest with you. I followed that debate closely.…”