XPost: alt.government.employees, alt.society.mental-health, alt.politics.liberalism
XPost: sac.politics, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh

On their first date, California Sen. Alex Padilla and his wife, Angela,
were waiting to order food when she said she needed to tell him something.
Over the next few hours, she shared what it was like growing up with a mom
who had “struggled with hospitals and doctors and insurance over the
years” because of her mental health.

By the time the check came, Padilla said he told Angela, “I can imagine
this is difficult for the family, it can be pretty sensitive. We’re just getting to know each other; trust me, I can be discreet.”

But to his surprise, that wasn’t what she wanted: She told him, in no uncertain terms, that he should use his position in the state Legislature
to do something about it.

Now Padilla is taking that task to the U.S. Senate. He announced Tuesday
that he and three other senators were forming the chamber’s first mental health caucus, a group dedicated to decreasing mental health stigma,
improving quality of care and expanding the mental health workforce.

The caucus formed in the wake of a shock wave to U.S. politics: Sen. John Fetterman’s announcement, soon after winning a contentious race, that he
had checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to receive treatment for severe depression. Since then, he has received
worldwide attention for his forthrightness on the subject.

Fetterman is one of 10 members of the new caucus, which includes five
Democrats and five Republicans, although Padilla said he already has been approached by other senators who want to get involved.

For the first time, Padilla and his wife spoke in detail with the
Chronicle about his mother-in-law’s bipolar 1 with schizoaffective
disorder, the effect it has had on their family, and how senators sharing
their personal stories could lead to change for people living with mental illness.

https://www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/news-coverage/sf-chronicle- therapy-is-like-going-to-the-dentist-alex-padilla-shares-familys- struggles-as-mental-health-caucus-launches/

Of course Democrats would support a mentally ill nut. He's one of them!

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