This week an amendment was introduced by Congressman Ron Paul on the floor of the United States House of Representatives on Amendment A024, of the "Labor, health and Human Services, and Education appropriations act, 2005," H.R. 5006.
(http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/update09.07.04.htm)

The text of the amendment is as follows:

None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to create or implement any new universal mental health screening program.

The amendment was defeated 315 to 95, with 94 Republicans and 1 Democrat supporting the amendment. To view the members voting for and against the amendment, please view Roll Call Vote on Universal Health Screening.

From Minnesota the vote was:
Gutknecht, Kennedy, and Ramstad voted to support Congressman Paul's amendment.
Kline, McCollum, Oberstar, Peterson, and Sabo voted to oppose the amendment.

The entire appropriations bill then went on to pass the House. The Senate has not yet passed the appropriations legislation. They will do so before the end of the year.

Though the defeat of Congressman Paul's amendment was lopsided, we have reason to be encouraged:

• The mental health juggernaut has not been challenged before. This was a new experience for those who believe they have the right to impose screening on the entire population.
• The amendment was drafted late on Tuesday, and alerts went out Wednesday morning. The public had little time to weigh in with their members of Congress.
• Members of Congress do not have sufficient information yet about this issue. Congressman Patrick Kennedy, for example, distributed false information to other members suggesting that the amendment would prohibit the legitimate treatment of mental illness and that the amendment rejects the reality of mental illness.
• The pharmaceutical lobby is one of the most powerful and well-funded professional lobby groups in Washington, DC. Yet the rights of parents and citizens cannot be trumped by them or by "peer reviewed" scientists.
• Many groups joined together in this effort with a new resolve to work together to put the brakes on the alarming expansion of the role of the federal government over parental rights, particularly in education. This new coalition provides hope for making a dramatic impact in the months ahead.

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