Democrats Fed Up With Yielding to GOP Rules

To protest the GOP maneuvering, Democrats on Friday tied up the House for several hours with procedural motions that had the effect of stalling all legislative action.

FROM THE HEART: It was one of those rare moments in the Senate when members forget about political games and the intricacies of legislation to speak from the heart about tragedies that have touched their own lives.

It happened last Thursday, when Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) rose to discuss a bill he is championing to authorize $60 million over three years to help states set up programs to prevent suicides by young people. The bill is named after Smith's son Garrett, who took his own life last fall, just one day short of his 22nd birthday.

Straining to choke back sobs, Smith told how Garrett struggled with learning disabilities, and was later diagnosed as having a bipolar disorder, with wild mood swings that included depression.

"While we knew intuitively that suicide was possible in his case, there are simply no parental preparations adequate for this crisis in one's own child, no owner's manual to help one in burying a child, especially when the cause is suicide," Smith said.

After he finished, colleagues hugged him, and some rose to tell their own stories. Minority Whip Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) told how his mother called him one day to say his father shot himself. "For a long time, I was embarrassed. I did not know how to handle that," he said.

Reid was followed by Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.), who said his father also committed suicide. "I have no doubt as a result of us passing this legislation, we'll end up saving a lot of lives," Nickles said.

The Senate approved the youth suicide prevention bill without dissent. Smith aides said House approval is expected soon.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Senate is scheduled to debate a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages, with a vote planned for Wednesday. The Senate also may take up the Australia free-trade legislation. The House is expected to take up three appropriations bills, covering the legislative branch of government, the Department of Agriculture and foreign aid.