going to be reflective of a marketplace driven price where their competitive with price and competitive with care. one of the reasons part whered so well is that when the% of the people in that edition know they can change their provider in the next 12 months and so there providers. that is why is 40% cheaper than anyone ever estimated it would be. that is one of the many reasons why we have the high level of satisfaction. . .

>> we'll go around. >> i have a question for everybody. >> is there any form of a plan which house republicans would be open to? >> i can't speak for all house republicans. in my case, no, there is not. a government competitor will work against the system. i'd personally be open to looking back at this in four or five years and see if the marketplace doesn't develop that i think will. back to the part d example again where half the people are enrolled in a system, and 90% of them think it is excellent. we're saying about medicare part d. once you add competitors, you are saying people won't be smart enough to make a choice that serves their needs, and neither of those things are true.

i'd be glad to revisit this thing, if i'm pronk wrong, and a marketplace -- if i'm wrong, and a marketplace develops. but there is nothing in recent history to indicate i'm wrong in that. so, for me, i will not support a plan that supports a government competitor, because the government will not compete fairly. >> i'm opposed to a government option, period. if you like going to the d.m.v. and you think they do a great job, or you like going to the post office and think it is the most fish thing you've run into, then you'll love the government-proposed system they are proposing. >> i would like to ask if there are any photos you would discuss on the war splmental, but a number -- supplemental, but a number of democrats are discussing about taking the

graham-lieberman provision out of the supplemental. i want to know your views on this. >> there have been a number of actions taken that have weakened our national security and put our soldiers and our intelligence officers in a position of greater risk. whether it was the plan to close guantanamo without a plan with what to do with those detainees, ask how to try them, whether it was released to the tear -- releasing the interrogation memos, and then when it came to these photos. it's clear that unless congress acts, these photos are going to be released. if they are released, it is going to put our soldiers and our intelligence officials at much greater risk, and make america less safe. so that language is critically important to stay in this bill, if, in fact, that is going to happen. but it is pretty clear, from what i'm hearing, that the

democrat leaders, under pressure from the far left, appear to be ready to take that language out of the bill. i think they are making a very big mistake. >> back to health care for a moment. senator conrad unveiled a co-op plan in the finance committee, and this is what senator greg said about it. senator gregg put out a bill involving co-ops, so there were people thinking in a plan -- thinking about a plan that would be bipartisan. what do you think about a plan that would allow consumers to choose? >> i think there is a lot of work that needs to go into this idea. it is interesting. i'm sure that in the coming weeks there is going to be more developed so that we can take a look and see what is this idea and how would it work.

we've had things like mewa's, multiemployer welfare arrangements that were not regulated and turned out to be a very big problem. so when you begin to look at what kind of co-op and what kind of pooling they are talking about it, as we have more details, we will have more to comment on. >> thank you.

>> more non-fiction books all weekend. inside the revolution. how the followers of gee hawed, jenniferson, and jesus are looking to dominate the world. also ahead, arthur lapper on taxes and the end of prosperity. and later, foreclosure nation. the housing crisis and where it is headed. after wards, how do you run for congress. and are six grade students running the campaign. she's interviewed by washington, d.c. delegate eleanor holmes norton. every weekend is filled with books and authors on book tv. look for our schedule online on

booktv.org. >> how is c-span funded? >> i have no clue. >> advertising for products. >> public money, i'm sure. >> taxes? >> how is c-span funded? 30 years ago america's cable companies created c-span as a public service. no government mandate, no government money. >> mental health leaders gathered for a conference in the developments and challenges in the industry. the session featured a look at america's opinions on health care. speakers include tipper gore, who is the honorary chair of the group mental health america. this is about 90 minutes.

>> welcome everyone. it is so enlightening to be in a room filled with people who want to make the difference we need to make in this country to get us back on the path of becoming the healthyest nation. we know unless mental health and substance abuse conditions are a core part are what happens to make us the healthyest nation, we're not going to get to where we need to get. so every time i'm with you, i get a great sense energy and opportunity. for the few of you i may not have met yet, i'm david shern, the president and c.e.o. of mental health plerk, and this is my third annual conference, and i'm delighted to be here. we have a fantastic conference this year. it is very full and exciting in terms of the number and variety of plannery sessions we have.

when we began planning this, it was right after the election. there was lots of talk of health care reform, and then, as these things go, we had -- you might have read about it in the papers, there was this minor economic disruption that the country went through. and mf us were worried that somehow health care reform, which we saw as fundamental to the american economy, would fall off the top 10 list, and not get the kind of currency that it needed and deserves. but we bet on the fact it would be the issue it has turned out to be. i think we understand more clearly than ever that health care reform and building a healthier nation is fundamental to rebuilding our economic structure. and again, that mental health and substance use issues will be core to having that happen.

i'd like to take a minute to acknowledge the people we had. we had an opinionated advisory group. it has been terrifically helpful in both the selection of content in the organization and staging. i would like to thank them so much for their work. [applause] >> i would like to also acknowledge tipper gore. she has been phenomenal in her help. honorary members are often honorary. they legitimize members and open doors for you.

tipper has done much, much more than that. tipper, i would like to thank you for all that you have done. >> and because of tipper's help on these issues, she has -- she has co-chaired homeless, and we have a fantastic photographicic exhibition which toured the country. in 1980, tipper founded tennessee voices for children, which is a coalition to promote services for children and youth with serious emotional or substance use disorders. i think when i think of tipper, i think prince reply of the

clinton years and all -- prince reply of the clinton years and all that went on in the clinton years, and she was instrumental in what turned out to be a very, very important era, the legacy of which we continue to enjoy today. she stimulated the president's conference on mental health. i remember there were activities throughout the united states that we were conducted -- conducting in conjunction with the presidential focus, and i remember steve hyman showing these pictures. they are so powerful. like this is the brain of a person who doesn't have a mental health condition, and you could see the brain is functioning differently for a person who has depression. and steve said, here's a picture for a person who has had their depression treated with ssri,

and you can see it looks looked very much like the normal brain, and he said here's the picture of a brain -- of a person who huh had depression who was successfully treated with cogtive therapy, and it looked just like the brain that was treated with cogtive therapy. no pharmaceuticals. so there is no difference between our ability to learn and change or to use psychological farm logical interventions was very unifying for me. tipper had also told me the surgeon general's report on fitness, said, wouldn't it be terrific if we had a surgeon general's report on mental health? and we were approached from the surgeon general himself and from

howard goldman, who can't keep a secret, that when he was initially approached by the goers, that he didn't think that the science was really adequate for a surgeon general's report on mental health, and he became through the process of the development of the report, a complete and absolute convert. and, in fact, when healthy people, 2010 goals were developed, i think four of the top 10 goals related to mental health because he came to understand that mental health is fundamental to health in every way. you might remember in 1996 we had a parity law passed. it wasn't all we wanted, but it was enormously important in terms of the symbolism. i don't remember the year. tipper probably does. but president clinton ordered parity in the federal employee's health system. he had the ability to do that, and by doing that, he created a parity in mental health benefits, and it was that parity

that allowed us to really understand, looking at large covered populations, the fact that parity in a managed karen environment is not only cost -effective, it's very affordable. so when we think of leaders in the mental health arena, tipper gore is clearly one of those people. i'd like to invite her up to make a few remarks today. [applause] 4 >> thank you. well, good morning everyone. thank you for the introduction and the leadership that you provide, david. we all really appreciate you,

and i hear nothing but just wonderful things about you from so many different people. so i want to return the compliment. and i'm so delighted to be here with you, and to serve as the honorary chair for this year's conference. when i was asked, i didn't think twice. i wanted to be involved whenever i can be for mental health and mental wellness. it's a life-time commitment for me. and the mental health movement that began with clifford bears in 1909, we have encountered a lot of obstacles in the last 100 years, but with every obstacle we have had to climb, there was always the point of reaching the top that mountain and reaching that promise, and i think we're here again. i think we can see the other side. i really do. i any -- think it is an exciting to time to come together with renewed energy around mental health and wellness and the

parity bill all around this great nation of ours. i know some of us will feel like charlie brown here, but i believe. i'm an optimist at heart, so i really think that we can do it. i think this is the time for all of us to collaborate and to come together and put any little issues aside and put our shoulders to the grind stone and work really hard to make sure that happens. we know when we choose to work on mental health issues, we strengthen families, and we also know we are not taking life easy road. that's why gatherings like this one are so very, very important. we come together as advocates, consumers that care so much about this issue that understand

the importance of the issue, the depth it brings to us, when we have someone in our family, co-worker, anybody. one in five families in america will be touched with a mental health issue. we understand that. it is so important to communicate that with other people. coming together like this gives us a chance to reinforce that sense of community, and at this time at the top of the mountain to consolidate our forces. i know that is something that you are going to be doing, because we do need solidarity to face the challenges, and also, at times, we should look around and say, well, we have had victories. we are having victories, so let's celebrate those victories, and let's take a minute to celebrate the legacy and to look around the room and to know that each of us are here buzz we care so deeply and so personally and

passionately about this issue, and to say good morning, and thank you for all you do for mental health. give yourselves a hand. it doesn't happen that much. but like many of you, i came to the issue of mental health through personal experience. my mother was a single working mother. she would have a bout of depression, she would, of course, lose her job. she would be hospitalized, she would recover, and then she wouldn't want to tell the perspective employer what happened, because, of course, they wouldn't hire her, because of the stigma associated with a mental health issue. and i would witness this. i would watch her go through these things periodically, and have the courage to rebuild her life again and again. but i noticed also that she felt

strongly and deeply that she could not be honest about what her disease was. so we were fortunate to have a strong and extended loving family. but our family wasn't any different than any other family. we didn't talk about it outside the family. even as a young child i was aware of the stigma of my mother's disease. but the example she set in always coming back and always rebuilding her life and always going and getting another job helped me seek treatment when i was faced with my own mental health crisis. in 1989 our son was hit by a car leaving a baseball game. he was critically injured. he was in the hospital about a month. al and i never left his side. we wanted our daughters to go on with their lives.

we felt that was the thing to do. it was the counselors who took us aside and said, you know what? it might be even better if you gave each of them a role in your son's recovery so they could feel they were an active part. so family counseling helped us right there even around a physical injury. and over the course of that year, albert recovered, and i'm happy to report that he's a youthful healthy young man today living a very good life. actually, he's off trekking in nepal right now, which i'm very happy about. he has a job, he's taking a break and going from monestary to monestary. i probably shouldn't say all that. but i just thought i'd tell you. he just had a boxing match as part of his whole lifestyle. and he won. i took photographs. so it was good. anyway, he's great. he lives out in l.a.

in the quiet after that storm, i reeled that i'd been taking care of so many other people that, like many wives and mothers and women in particular do, that i had neglected my own needs, and i was really stretched thin. in the days that followed, a bunch of my friends talked to me and al talked to me and said what's going on here? so i went and got help. i understood i needed it. i remembered my mother. i also have a degree in psychology, but god forbid i would apply that to myself. so looking back, i realized that my family history, my educational background, did make me feel secure enough to embrace the treatment that i needed, and that i was so fortunate to be able to get with love and support. we all do know that meant mental illnesses are diagnoseable and treatable and manageable for the most partment -- part.

it is not fully recoverable. 80% to 90% of the people that seek necessary form of treatment can function the way they did before the onset of their illness or perhaps even better. who knows? but for so many years little was known about how mental illnesses arise, how they can be treated, what services can help along the road to recovery. there's phil still a great number of wrongs that need to be made right 0. and when it comes to mental illness, i'm talking about, of course, discrimination, the shame, the stigma. i'm talking about how mental illnesses have been segregated from other illnesses, which is ridiculous, if you take a look at the human body. the brain, the most important second organ. that's a joke. ok.

so even though it is as painful as heart disease, coronary artery disease, all the illnesses that we're so familiar with, that have come through kind of their own transitions in shalling socially acceptable, we -- in being socially acceptable, we need to understand mental illnesses are exactly the same way. we also need to understand they have unique effects on family members, particularly because of the stigma and the shame. if someone has a heart attack, you go and you talk to them, or diabetes. i had a friend who recently tried to take his life basically because of the recession. i'm sure there was pour involved. but business. we all know this. these stories are out there. i said absolutely, send flowers. i'm calling. most people don't know what to

do. but you do the same thing you would do no matter what the particular illness is, and tchats part of the way we need to educate people. so when i first approached this whole subject, i really was astounded at how we couldn't discuss this publicly and the kind of shame and stigma that was attached to it. i think that's something that we really have to address. we cannot allow it to be trivialized as a character weakness when it is a medical disease. now, part of the answer in combating all of that is in research that's being done and yet to be done, the role that genetics and the environment play in the general siss of the most serious -- in the general siss of the most serious mental illnesses. part relies on access to needed health care. and part of the answer lies in improved medications and the identification of service

programs that foster both recovery and something very important p. individual resilience. i know a lot of fokse folks in this room understand the concept of individual resilience. we have a new generation of medications available. many are now free. from the terrible side-effects i know i saw in my own mother, they are free from that. and they are much more effective and easy to take. part of the answer lies in ending the stigma associated with these disorders. a stigma that somehow seems to remain whether we call them severe mental illnesses or brain diseases, or emotional disorders, we still seem to have the stigma. and sadly, while we're moving closer to the answers, we have a long way to go.

but i would also like to say we've come a long way. looking at ross thabo there, he'll speak later, he's foke -- spoken to thousands of young people. all the education we give helps to displace ignorance and fear, and that's what we have to do with these sets of illnesses. so i do think it is getting better. so the shame and fear surrounding mental illnesses still do exist in a bit the way they did in clifford biers time. now, as was mentioned, when al became vice president i was determined to use the platform afforded to me to change the outdated attitudes of mental health. so i traveled around the country

speaking about the issue and worked closely with many of you in your states and listened to what you had to say about what we could do to create meaningful change. so we've worked together. we've shared many milestones over the years, including your fantastic partnership in 1986, that led to your photographing homeless in america, a photographicic project, which led to the awareness of homeless and mental illness. the release in 1989 of the first surgeon general's report on mental health and suicide. it was an incredible achievement, i will lume illuminating -- i illuminating the science can lead to better treatment and prevention.

the first-ever white house conference on mental health, an historic gathering of professionals and advocates and the consumers, and we all talked about what was going on with mental health in this country. so it was an opportunity to highlight the advances that have been made in understanding the brain. particularly in the decade of the brain. we also wanted to work toward that goal of parity. we worked together to persuade the federal government to change its policy and ensure every employer participating in the federal insurance benefits provide coverage for mental health care. that wasn't the full parity we had hoped to find at the end