mr. chairman , speaking as a psychologist and one who has spent a career working with children , let me say that this amendment is misguided , misinformed , wrong for america , and wrong for medicine . 
first of all , this bill does not fund universal screening . 
hhs secretary michael leavitt and samhsa director charlie curie have both testified that mandatory screening of all children for mental illness has never been , nor will it ever be , a part of the federal plan to respond to the nation 's mental health crisis . 
the president 's new freedom commission on mental health clearly stated that schools should work collaboratively with families on mental health services and support to children . 
this amendment is another witch hunt against mental illness and its passage will only serve to further stigmatize mental illness . 
if our concern is about overmedicating children , let us deal with that . 
you do not deal with it by attacking screening . 
just as pediatricians routinely screen newborns for heart and liver diseases and sickle cell anemia , appropriate mental health screening done by qualified professionals is vital to identifying mental health and the potential substance abuse problems of our youth . 
screening does not cause diabetes , screening does not cause metabolic disorders , screening does not cause cancer , and screening does not cause hyperactivity . 
with over 75 percent of all prescriptions for antidepressants prescribed by non-psychiatrists , including pediatricians , ob-gyns , and primary care practitioners , with little or no training in psychiatry , the answer is to do screening the right way with parental consent and by qualified mental health professionals , not to take away the ability to do it at all . 
i urge my colleagues to vote `` no '' on the paul amendment to do what is right for medicine , what is right for mental health , and what is compassionate for those with mental illnesses . 
