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A Weekly Publication of the Department of Government Relations  Week of October 5, 2009 
In This Issue
Finance Committee Concludes Health Reform Mark-Up
APA's Mental Illness Awareness Week Symposium
Quick Links
 
APAPAC Events  
 
10/5 - 9:00 a.m. - Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
 
10/6 - 5:30 p.m. - Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA)
 
10/7 - 12:00 p.m. - Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)

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Questions about the Twitter page or how to set up an account? Please contact Kate McAllister or Jason Pray at advocacy@psych.org.
Finance Committee Concludes Health Reform Mark-Up
On October 1, the Senate Finance Committee finished amending the Chairman's Mark after a six-day mark-up. An amendment approved by the Committee requires the marked up bill to be scored by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) before the Committee can vote on the package. A score is anticipated back mid-week with a vote shortly after. 
 
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is working to combine the Finance Language with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension's bill with the goal of bringing the combined bill to the floor as soon as October 13. 
APA's Mental Illness Awareness Week Symposium
On September 30, the APA held its annual Mental Illness Awareness Week Symposium, focusing on military mental health. The Symposium titled, "Supporting Our Troops: New Research on Suicide and Substance Use Disorder", raised public and Congressional awareness and worked to reduce the stigma of mental illness in the military and veterans population. 
 
The event was hosted by APA CEO and Medical Director, James H. Scully, Jr., and featured, as speakers, John Mann, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Mental Health Control Center for the Neuroscience of Mental Disorders, and Tim Condon, Ph.D, Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). 
 
Members of Congress who attended the event included keynote speaker John Fleming (R-LA), Committee on Armed Services, Steve Buyer (R-IN), Ranking Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Michael Michaud (D-ME), Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health, and Sue Myrick (R-NC), Committee on Energy and Commerce.