NJ Democrats vow to get postpartum depression bill passed

[The Straight Story]

NJ Democrats vow to get postpartum depression bill passed


May 9, 2005, 12:14 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- Although a postpartum depression bill is named for an Illinois woman, four of New Jersey's House Democrats have vowed to get it passed.

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-Long Branch, said Monday he would work to move the bill out of the Energy and Commerce Committee to the House floor. Pallone is working with Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush, who introduced the bill last week, to get the measure passed in the committee. Both are members of the panel.

Pallone, along with fellow New Jersey Democrats Rush Holt, Bill Pascrell, and Steven Rothman, voiced support for the bill during a news conference last week where Mary Jo Codey, the wife of acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, spoke about her bouts with postpartum depression.

Rothman had indicated at the news conference that his former wife had suffered from postpartum depression. Later, he clarified his statement to say that they had only discussed how they would deal with postpartum depression if she were to encounter the illness. His wife did not suffer from postpartum depression, he said.


http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--postpartumdepress0509may09,0,4677429.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey