A Republican senator shed tears as he discussed the significance of mental health treatment in America in extremely personal terms.
Every single one of us has a family history,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who will take over as ranking member of the powerful Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in January. Someone you know or a loved one who suffers from severe mental illness
Cassidy feels strongly about the problem. The Louisiana senator is “still sensitive after all these years” since his nephew committed suicide many years ago. But everyone has such a touching tale to tell.
Cassidy, a licenced physician, has experience working in hospitals for uninsured patients. Having major mental disease frequently results in serious physical sickness, he noted, underscoring the significance of treating mental and physical health in combination.
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that there were 14 suicide fatalities in the US last year for every 100,000 persons. Every year, up to 800,000 people die by suicide worldwide, and in 2020, there were 1.2 million suicide attempts.
As a doctor who treats vulnerable populations and in light of Cassidy’s nephew’s passing, he has made mental health legislation one of his top legislative goals.
There is nothing we can do to stop this emotion from occurring. Or, we may declare that we’ll make an effort to address the issue, he told AWN.
Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy and Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy introduced legislation in May to extend and strengthen a bipartisan mental health policy that had come to an end in September.
At the conclusion of the year, Cassidy said to AWN, “I can’t tell you if it’s passed or not.” If not, we shall do so once more in the following year.
Cassidy will collaborate with the committee’s progressive chairman, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, in his capacity as ranking member.
When asked how the two will come to an understanding, Cassidy told AWN that while he and Sanders might disagree on the “treatment” for different medical problems, they are likely to come to an understanding on the “diagnosis.”
I will work toward that solution if it is beneficial to the United States of America, Cassidy stated.
