Republicans calling for more attention to mental health in order to prevent mass shootings. President Obama announcing new measures to increase opioid addiction treatment at a community forum in West Virginia last month. Rand Pauland Carly Fiorina calling for sympathy for drug addicts at the second Republican presidential debate. It's becoming clear that politicians on both sides of the isle want to address mental health. But what might that look like in Congress?
A bipartisan hearing Tuesday that focused on the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, introduced by Tim Murphy (R-Pa.), could offer some clues. The legislation promises to bring accountability to mental health spending, advance research, empower parents to play an active role in their adult children's care, and provide alternatives to jail and prison for people with serious mental illnesses. However, opponents are concerned about privacy, budget cuts to existing programs, and court-mandated outpatient treatment programs, as Media General National reports.
Congress clashes over mental health laws: 'The body count is always climbing'
