I just had the privilege of speaking with one of our nation's Senators today — Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who we have to thank forintroducing the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act in the Senate. As he stated in an official message from his office today, lauding the bloggers who will mobilize readers, colleagues, family members and friendsthis week to support the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act:

“Postpartum depression is a condition that is not only more widespread than most realize but also more debilitating than most realize. We need to make sure these mothers are fully supported and informed, rather than scared and alone. Working together with a nationwide community of mothers, we are so close to enacting this important legislation into law. What we need is an intense dose of public pressure. This Blog Day helps reinforce the type of grassroots movement that will create the pressure that is needed, and I commend the participants."

"Intense dose of pressure" means calling the Capitol operator at 202-224-3121, asking for the Senators mentionedbelow in this post,and speaking up. It means getting yourself on Susan Stone'slist of individual and organizational supporters (email her at susanstonelcsw@aol.com). It means writing an editorialorletter to the editor describing whypassage of the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Actis so important.

Senator Menendezindicated thatmuch of the strong opposition to this bill continues to come from Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma who refuses to pass any of what he calls "disease-specific" legislation. Here's the part that absolutely kills me: Dr. Coburn specializes in family medicine andobstetrics. Dr. Coburn has personally delivered more than 4,000 babies, according to his bio.

Yes, you heard me right. The chief Senatorial opponent of this bill is an OB. Am I living in an alternate reality here? Did somebody spike my coffee? Have I officially arrived in Bizarro World? Hellooooo?! Bueller?! If you'd like to call Senator Coburn's office to register your confusion, here's the number: Dr. Coburn's office in Washington: 202-224-5754, Tulsa: 918-581-7651 andOklahoma City: 405-231-4941. They're going to be hearing an earful from me today.

(Perhaps Senator Coburn doesn't realize that Oklahomans get postpartum depression too. And that part about being against disease-specific legislation is BS, since he himself wrote legislation about the prevention of AIDS ininfants,which sounds pretty disease-specific to me.)

This isNOT a Democrat vs. Republican issue. In the interest of full disclosure (don't hate me, my dear liberal friends), I am a moderate conservative. I don't get how conservatives talk so passionately about the sanctity of family and the sanctity of life and then can't be moved to do something that will obviously support new families. Yes, that's you, Republican members of the Senate HELP committee: Sen. Micahel Enzi (WY), Sen. Judd Gregg (NH), Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN), Sen. Richard Burr (NC), Sen. Johnny Isakson (GA), Sen. John McCain (AZ), Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK), Sen. Tom Coburn (OK) and Sen. Pat Roberts (KS).

It is the HELP Committee (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions) thathas the power tomove this bill to a vote on the floor of the Senate. There is no Democratic opposition to this bill, there is only lack of Republican support. So here's what we need to help the Republicans, as wellas yourown state Senators who will eventually vote on this bill,understand:

* Postpartum depression and related illnesses like postpartum psychosis are party-blind. Just as many Republican families will suffer from these illnesses and Democrat or Libertarian families — nearly 1 million families each year in the US. We need your help.

* Senator Menendez has worked hard to reach across the aisle and ensure that the language of the bill was changed to accommodate the concerns of Republicans as well as outside parties like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. There is no mandatory screening, for instance. There should be no concerns remaining that would preventyou from getting behind the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act and helping mothers.

* Postpartum depression is a very real illness. Its negativeimpact on the physical and emotional health of mothers and newborns is well-documented. This is why such organizations as the March of Dimes,the American College of Obstetricians &Gynecologists, the Children's Defense Fund, the National Association of Social Workers, the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, American Psychiatric Association and the Suicide Prevention Action Network,among others, are fully behind it. This is also whysome of the families who have lost their daughters, wives and children/grandchildrendue to this illness are behind the Melanie Blockers Stokes MOTHERS Act 100%, including Carol Blocker, Joan Mudd, the Gibbs family, Helena Bradfordand the Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation.

* Working to identify causes and improve treatments of these illnesses will only reduce the healthcare costs related to postpartum depression, particularly if we are able to begin preventing these illnesses from occurring or becoming more severe thanks to the funding that is part of this bill.

By the way, IaskedSen. Menendezwhat itis that makes him so passionate about supporting women with postpartum depression, considering he has not had first-hand experience with the illness himself.

"It came to myriveting attention by former first lady of New Jersey Mary Jo Codey. Her stories were very moving to me in terms of the challenges she faced. She made a very clear and compelling case and that's how I first got engaged. Since then, though, I've heard from so many other families, including hearing from men who've expressed the consequences of postpartum depression on their families."

I'm so glad we have his leadership to help us move this forward. He can't do it all by himself though. Now's the time for that intense dose of pressure.