The House of Representatives, moments ago, voted to approve, by a vote of 263 to 171, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (H.R. 1424), which includes a new financial rescue bill, tax extenders package and mental health and substance use disorder parity legislation, the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (introduced as H.R. 6983). The same package cleared the Senate on October 1 by a vote of 74 to 25. The bill will now be sent to the White House where the President is expected to sign the legislation.

During the House floor debate, a number of those in support of the package applauded the work of Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN), the lead sponsors of the parity bill, for their leadership. In his floor statement, Rep. Kennedy celebrated passage of the parity bill and called on observers to remember the incredible life and contributions of the late Paul Wellstone. Leaders also recognized the tireless work of Senator Domenici (R-NM), a Senate champion who is retiring from public service this year, and Senator Kennedy (D-MA), another champion in the Senate, who is battling cancer. Speaker Pelosi, in her floor statement before the vote, said of the House action, “We are helping to end discrimination” for those seeking treatment for substance use disorders.