HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, April 30, 2009
2009 Ron Paul 51:1
Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce
the Parental Consent Act. This bill forbids
Federal funds from being used for any
universal or mandatory mental-health screening
of students without the express, written,
voluntary, informed consent of their parents or
legal guardians. This bill protects the fundamental
right of parents to direct and control
the upbringing and education of their children.
2009 Ron Paul 51:2
The New Freedom Commission on Mental
Health has recommended that the federal and
state governments work toward the implementation
of a comprehensive system of mental-
health screening for all Americans. The commission
recommends that universal or mandatory
mental-health screening first be implemented
in public schools as a prelude to expanding
it to the general public. However, neither
the commissions report nor any related
mental-health screening proposal requires parental
consent before a child is subjected to
mental-health screening. Federally-funded universal
or mandatory mental-health screening
in schools without parental consent could lead
to labeling more children as ADD or hyperactive
and thus force more children to take
psychotropic drugs, such as Ritalin, against
their parents wishes.
2009 Ron Paul 51:3
Already, too many children are suffering
from being prescribed psychotropic drugs for
nothing more than childrens typical rambunctious
behavior. According to Medco Health Solutions,
more than 2.2 million children are receiving
more than one psychotropic drug at
one time. In fact, according to Medico Trends,
in 2003, total spending on psychiatric drugs
for children exceeded spending on antibiotics
or asthma medication.
2009 Ron Paul 51:4
Many children have suffered harmful side
effects from using psychotropic drugs. Some
of the possible side effects include mania, violence,
dependence, and weight gain. Yet, parents
are already being threatened with child
abuse charges if they resist efforts to drug
their children. Imagine how much easier it will
be to drug children against their parents wishes
if a federally-funded mental-health screener
makes the recommendation.
2009 Ron Paul 51:5
Universal or mandatory mental-health
screening could also provide a justification for
stigmatizing children from families that support
traditional values. Even the authors of mental-
health diagnosis manuals admit that mental-
health diagnoses are subjective and based on
social constructions. Therefore, it is all too
easy for a psychiatrist to label a persons disagreement
with the psychiatrists political beliefs
a mental disorder. For example, a federally-
funded school violence prevention program
lists intolerance as a mental problem
that may lead to school violence. Because intolerance
is often a code word for believing in
traditional values, children who share their
parents values could be labeled as having
mental problems and a risk of causing violence.
If the mandatory mental-health screening
program applies to adults, everyone who
believes in traditional values could have his or
her beliefs stigmatized as a sign of a mental
disorder. Taxpayer dollars should not support
programs that may label those who adhere to
traditional values as having a mental disorder.
2009 Ron Paul 51:6
Madam Speaker, universal or mandatory
mental-health screening threatens to undermine
parents right to raise their children as
the parents see fit. Forced mental-health
screening could also endanger the health of
children by leading to more children being improperly
placed on psychotropic drugs, such
as Ritalin, or stigmatized as mentally ill or a
risk of causing violence because they adhere
to traditional values. Congress has a responsibility
to the nations parents and children to
stop this from happening. I, therefore, urge my
colleagues to cosponsor the Parental Consent
Act.