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THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERSHIP ON PARITY

December 27, 2001 

Dear Members: 

I wish to thank you personally for all your efforts on behalf of NAMI PA on our recent Legislative Initiative for passage of the Wellstone-Domenici National Mental Health Parity Bill in Congress. 

As you may know, the amendment did not pass the conference committee in the U.S. House of Representatives that decided it’s fate.  

The vote that killed this version of a full parity bill was along party lines, with ten republicans voting against, and seven democrats voting for, passage.  Extreme pressure by republican leadership in the house by House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Majority Leader Richard Armey (R-TX), Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-TX), Republican Conference Chairman J.C. Watts (R-OK), Education and the Workforce Chairman John Boehner (R-OH), Energy and Commerce Chairman W.J. Tauzin (R-LA) and Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) resulted in the failed vote in the committee. 

Though the amendment did not pass this time, there is good news.  We may have “lost the battle, but won the war.” 

Here’s why.  Due to your efforts (in conjunction with NAMI National, and other associated organizations), we were successful in driving the issue of parity to the highest levels of our federal government.  Congressional leadership and the White House have all promised to re-visit the bill after the first of the year to give it the attention it deserves. 

Here’s how we did it.  Our Affiliates across the state took a very positive and active role in November and December, including:

·        Letter writing campaign both to our whole Pennsylvania delegation to Congress, and to members of the conference committee which decided the fate of the bill.

·        Phone calls to our delegates offices pressing passage.

·        Face to face meetings with our delegates to urge passage.  Meetings were held by affiliate representatives in both Sherwoods (NAMI PA Scranton) and Peterson’s (NAMIECO) districts.

·        Press conferences held in the two key congressional districts- Representatives Sherwood and Peterson.  I would like to give a special thank you to members, officers and affiliates that participated in these press conferences held in Scranton and State College on short notice Friday, November 30^th, 2001.

·        Editorials written by members and staff.  Several newspapers not only printed the editorials, but came out officially in favor of parity.

·        Radio spots advocating for passage of the legislation.

·        Our Lobbyist convincing our state senators to write letters on our behalf to national representatives. 

These efforts had an immediate and profound effect on our legislators, and our media outlets in Pennsylvania.  Not only are our representatives aware of your advocacy, but have clearly expressed a desire to engage with us on this and other mental health issues in the future.  A variety of newspapers, radio stations and television stations across the state reported on this issue, giving us the wide ranging exposure to the public we need to educate the public to change the stigma of mental illness.

This manner of statewide coordinated advocacy effort to change the landscape with respect to Mental Illness is at the very core of our mission as an organization.  We truly are Pennsylvania’s voice on mental illness.  Together, our efforts on this issue have proven that we are accomplishing the effective advocacy and enlightened education of our leaders that provides the social, legal and moral support our loved ones need.

Sincerely,
James W. Jordan
NAMI PA Executive Director

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