November 15, 2002 
MENTAL HEALTH EQUITABLE 
TREATMENT ACT

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, we have passed tonight a bill to extend for one year the current provisions of the 1986 Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act which provides limited parity for insurance coverage of mental illness. 
But today is not a day to celebrate. Instead, it is a call to arms--a call to pass the full and meaningful mental health parity bill that Paul Wellstone and PETE DOMENICI have fought for so tirelessly. It is a day to sound the battle cry for finally ensuring that no American is discriminated against because they suffer from a mental illness. 
Mental illness is a pervasive problem in our society, and too often it is a problem that is swept under the rug with an immense human cost. One out of five Americans will suffer from some form of mental illness this year--but only one-third of them will receive treatment. 
The fight against discrimination is not new--it is as old as the Republic and as fresh as today's headlines. All Americans deserve equality of opportunity and fundamental fairness. 
Next year this fight begins anew. All of us are saddened that Paul Wellstone is no longer with us to carry on this fight. But we intend to honor his memory and continue to fight for the cause for which he worked so hard. We will not rest until we enact legislation that ends the cruel discrimination that burdens so many Americans suffering from mental illness.