CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 155, Pt. 7 8573 ORDER for ADJOURNMENT Health Care Policies in the Senate That Do Play a Crucial Role in This Nation’S Mr
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March 25, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 155, Pt. 7 8573 ORDER FOR ADJOURNMENT health care policies in the Senate that do play a crucial role in this Nation’s Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, if there apply specifically to rural commu- mental health care. is no further business to come before nities. I am proud to join her as we These providers go through rigorous the Senate, I ask unanimous consent it fight to ensure Medicare patients liv- training, and it is similar to the cur- stand adjourned under the previous ing in rural and in frontier States have riculum of a master’s level social order following the remarks of Senator access to and a choice of their mental worker. They must not be excluded BARRASSO. health professionals. from the Medicare Program. I believe The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without The Seniors Mental Health Access S. 671 is critically important to the objection, it is so ordered. Improvement Act will permit marriage health and the well-being of our Na- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I sug- and family therapists and licensed pro- tion’s seniors. It is time for this bill to gest the absence of a quorum. fessional counselors to bill Medicare become law. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The directly. These providers will then re- I yield the floor. clerk will call the roll. ceive 75 percent of the rate that psychi- f The legislative clerk proceeded to atrists and psychologists receive for the same services. ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 9:30 A.M. call the roll. TOMORROW Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask I want my colleagues to know that S. unanimous consent that the order for 671 does not expand covered Medicare The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the quorum call be rescinded. services. It would simply give Medicare the previous order, the Senate now The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without patients who are living in isolated stands adjourned until tomorrow at objection, it is so ordered. frontier States, such as Wyoming, 9:30 a.m. more choices for mental health pro- f Thereupon, the Senate, at 6:29 p.m., viders. adjourned until Thursday, March 26, ORDER OF PROCEDURE Today, approximately three-quarters 2009, at 9:30 a.m. Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask of the nationally designated mental f unanimous consent that the period of health professional shortage areas are morning business tomorrow be limited located in rural areas. Over half of all NOMINATIONS to 1 hour. rural counties have no mental health Executive nominations received by The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without services of any kind. Frontier counties the Senate: objection, it is so ordered. have even more dramatic numbers—95 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE percent do not have a psychiatrist, 68 f DALLAS P. TONSAGER, OF SOUTH DAKOTA, TO BE percent do not have a psychologist, and UNDER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE FOR RURAL DE- APPOINTMENTS 78 percent do not have a social worker. VELOPMENT, VICE THOMAS C. DORR, RESIGNED. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Virtually all of Wyoming is designated DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN Chair, on behalf of the majority leader, a mental health professional shortage DEVELOPMENT pursuant to Public Law 105–83, an- area. PETER A. KOVAR, OF MARYLAND, TO BE AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, nounces the appointment of the fol- In Wyoming, there is a total of 474 VICE SHEILA MCNAMARA GREENWOOD. lowing individual to serve as a member mental health providers who are cur- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES of the National Council of the Arts: the rently eligible to care for Medicare pa- MARGARET A. HAMBURG, OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUM- Honorable SHELDON WHITEHOUSE of tients and bill Medicare for their serv- BIA, TO BE COMMISSIONER OF FOOD AND DRUGS, DE- Rhode Island. ices—474. Additionally, we have over PARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, VICE AN- DREW VON ESCHENBACH, RESIGNED. The Chair announces, on behalf of 500 licensed professional counselors and IN THE COAST GUARD the majority leader, pursuant to the 61 marriage and family therapists who THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT provisions of S. Res. 105, adopted April are currently licensed to practice. IN THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD TO THE GRADE IN- 13, 1989, as amended by S. Res. 149, None of them are able, at this time, to DICATED UNDER TITLE 14, U.S.C., SECTION 271: adopted October 5, 1993, as amended by charge Medicare for the services they To be rear admiral (lower half) Public Law 105–275, adopted October 21, provide. By enacting this Seniors Men- CAPT. ROBERT E. DAY, JR. 1998, further amended by S. Res. 75, tal Health Access and Improvement IN THE AIR FORCE adopted March 25, 1999, amended by S. Act, that would more than double— THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT Res. 383, adopted October 27, 2000, and more than double—the number of men- TO THE GRADE INDICATED IN THE UNITED STATES AIR amended by S. Res. 355, adopted No- tal health providers available to treat FORCE UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., SECTION 624: vember 13, 2002, and further amended seniors in my State. To be major by S. Res. 480 adopted November 21, Medicare patients in Wyoming are RYAN G. MCPHERSON 2004, the appointment of the following often forced to travel great distances THE FOLLOWING NAMED INDIVIDUAL FOR APPOINT- MENT TO THE GRADE INDICATED IN THE RESERVE OF Senators as members of the Senate Na- to see mental health providers who are THE AIR FORCE UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., SECTION 12203: tional Security Working Group for the currently recognized by the Medicare To be colonel 111th Congress: the Senator from Flor- program. To make matters even more of a challenge, rural and frontier com- MARK J. IVEY ida, Mr. NELSON, and the Senator from THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICERS FOR APPOINTMENT Connecticut, Mr. LIEBERMAN. munities have a tough time recruiting TO THE GRADE INDICATED IN THE UNITED STATES AIR Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I and retaining these providers—all pro- FORCE UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., SECTION 624: make a note that these appointments viders but especially mental health To be colonel to the National Security Working care providers. In many small towns, a PAUL L. CANNON GARY S. LINSKY Group were inadvertently left off the licensed professional counselor or a STEVEN A. SCHAICK March 9, 2009, appointment to this marriage or family therapist is the CHERRI S. WHEELER group. only mental health care provider in the THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICERS FOR APPOINTMENT area. TO THE GRADE INDICATED IN THE UNITED STATES AIR f FORCE UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., SECTION 624: Medicare laws only compound the To be major SENIORS MENTAL HEALTH current situation. ACCESS AND IMPROVEMENT ACT Right now, only psychiatrists, clin- RICHARD EDWARD ALFORD ROBERT J. ANDERSON Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I am ical psychologists, clinical social work- SONDRA A. BELL ers, and clinical nurse specialists can TAMONA L. BRIGHT honored to join my colleague from Ar- AMY E. BRYAN kansas, Senator BLANCHE LINCOLN, in bill Medicare for mental health serv- MATTHEW D. BURRIS ices. So it is time the Medicare Pro- ERNEST JOHN CALDERON II introducing Nos. 671, the Seniors Men- PAOLINO M. CALIENDO tal Health Access Improvement Act. gram recognizes the qualifications of KEVIN D. CATRON For over a decade, Senator LINCOLN licensed professional counselors and LINDSAY E. CONTOVEROS ROYAL A. DAVIS has been a strong voice advocating for marriage and family therapists. They WILLIAM D. DEITCH VerDate Mar 15 2010 12:05 Aug 01, 2011 Jkt 079102 PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 9801 E:\BR09\S25MR9.002 S25MR9 erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with BOUND RECORD 8574 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 155, Pt. 7 March 25, 2009 JAMES R. DORMAN GEORGE T. YOUSTRA BRIAN A. BALAZS GLORIA A. DOWNEY KYLE M. BALDASSARI PAUL E. DURKES THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICERS FOR APPOINTMENT ERNIE J. BALDREE DARREN M. EICKEN TO THE GRADE INDICATED IN THE UNITED STATES AIR NICHOLAS J. BALDWIN LISA D. FILL FORCE UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., SECTION 624: TOBIN C. BALDWIN SHELLY M. FRANK To be major JASON W. BALES LANCE E. FREEMAN JOHN I. BALL NATHAN N. FROST PETER BRIAN ABERCROMBIE II JEFFREY M. BANKER THOMAS A. GABRIELE TODD W. ABSHIRE MARK E. BARAN DARREN S. GILKES MATTHEW P. ACER ROBERT P. BARAN ANDREW D. GILLMAN J. A. ACEVEDO CHARLEEN BARLOW MARLA JUDITH GILLMAN RODGER N. ACKLIN HARLEY R. BARMORE CORETTA E. GRAY ADAM J. ACOCK GREGORY M. BARNES PATRICIA A. GRUEN OLGA L. ACOSTA RENAE BARNES MARGARET L. HANNAN DAVID C. ADAMS RICHARD D. BARNHART CHARLES J. HEBNER GREGORY M. ADAMS RYAN F. BARRETT RYAN A. HENDRICKS KIRK D. ADAMS CRAIG R. BARRINGTON AMBER E. HIRSCH MICHAEL J. ADAMS GAIUS S. BARRON BRANDON C. JAROCH ROBERT B. ADAMS MARGARET L. BARRY MATTHEW T. KING SCOTT L. ADAMS DAVID K. BARTELS SHANDRA J. KOTZUN DAVID R. ADAMSON DAVE K. BARTELSON ERIKA E. LYNCH SUSAN M. ADAMSON BRENDON C. BARTHOLOMEW JOSEPH E. MANAHAN SHILETTE M. ADDISON REED CASEY J. BARTHOLOMEW SCOTT W. MEDLYN TONI L. AGNEW JEFF K. BARTLETT CHARLTON J. MEGINLEY DIANA E. AGUILAR MATTHEW A. BARTLETT ETIENNE J. MISZCZAK VICTOR J. AGUILAR VANESSA C. BARTLEY AIRON A. MOTHERSHED JONATHAN E. AIRHART AUSTIN A. BARTOLO JASON S. OSBORNE COREY M. AKIYAMA KEVIN L. BASS BRENT F. OSGOOD CARMELO ALAMO, JR. CHARLES J. BASSETT III STERLING C. PENDLETON JOHN F. ALBERT JAIME BASTIDAS, JR. STEPHAN PIEL MELISSA M. ALBLINGER KYLE C. BATE KEIRA A. POELLET FREDERICK V. ALDRICH PAUL G. BATISH JACOB A. PUGH BRIAN M. ALEXANDER QUIANA M. BATTS MICHELLE A. QUITUGUA CHARLES R. ALLEN, JR. JAMES D. BAUER JENNIFER J. RAAB JUSTIN T. ALLEN GREGORY R.