Ehlers votes against mental health parity bill

The House passed the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act on a vote of 268-148. 47 Republicans joined 221 Democrats in supporting passage of the bill.

According to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's blog, The Gavel:

This bipartisan legislation will end discrimination against patients seeking treatment for mental illnesses by prohibiting insurers and group health plans from imposing treatment or financial limitations when they offer mental health benefits that are more restrictive from those applied to medical and surgical services.

Congressman Ehlers voted against the bill.

Why the S-CHIP flip, Congressman?

Last month, declaring his support for the re-authorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Vern Ehlers said he was very pleased with the program, which Michiganders know of as MIChild. He added:

"Although this bill made some controversial changes to SCHIP, which I do not approve, I believe the overall bill is acceptable and I voted for it," said Congressman Ehlers. "I grew up with acute asthma, and I know personally how important it is for kids to have access to affordable health care. This bill will continue to provide health care coverage to millions of children who otherwise would be uninsured."

Yet while he supported both the original passage of the bill and the attempt to override President Bush's veto, Ehlers las week voted against the new version of the S-CHIP reauthorization.

So why did Congressman Ehlers flip-flop on this important issue? He says he had asthma when he was younger, which I have no reason not to believe. So why would he vote to deny millions of sick children in West Michigan and throughout the nation the insurance they need to live healthy, active lives - and in some cases to survive, period?

Ehlers: State of the Union "focused on issues and answers"

While many Republicans distance themselves from President Bush, Congressman Vern Ehlers is choosing not to.

"President Bush gave a good speech tonight that focused on issues and answers and stayed away from partisanship and divisions. It is my hope that the members of Congress who listened to the speech can take that spirit of cooperation, set aside partisan differences and work to move our nation forward.

"I was especially heartened by the President’s call to strengthen the math and science skills of our children. Since joining Congress, one of my top priorities has been to improve the math and science standards in our nation’s schools. I agree with the President about the importance of ensuring that our children receive the best education and training possible to equip them for the jobs of the future. This will allow our nation to remain competitive in the world economy. I also look forward to working with the President on his pledge to review and improve the No Child Left Behind Act, as I serve on the Education & Labor Committee, which has jurisdiction on this important legislation.

"I agree with President Bush about the necessity for our nation to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Although I may not agree with all of his solutions, we certainly agree on the need to develop alternatives to fossil fuels. His proposal to reduce gasoline usage in the United States by 20 percent over the next 10 years is a laudable goal – and one that we can achieve if we truly dedicate ourselves to it. I personally look forward to the opportunity to work to make this goal a reality."

"Finally, I appreciate the President’s call to seek ways to provide health care insurance to the 47 million Americans who don’t have it. There are promising initiatives in the states, particularly Gov. Mitt Romney’s plan in Massachusetts and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal in California. I hope President Bush and Congress pursue this goal and that, together, we can reach a solution."

For what it's worth: Romney is a likely contender for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.