Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal Files Senate Resolution Requiring Presidential Candidates to Undergo Mental Health Evaluations
Senator Chappelle-Nadal, a woman of Puerto Rican heritage whose family member was among the nearly 3,000 dead following the 2017 Hurricane, urges Congress to ensure mental fitness of America’s commander in chief.
Jefferson City, MO –State Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, today filed a Senate Resolution calling on Congress to require every presidential candidate to undergo a psychological screening. This action follows statements made by the president this morning on social media.
“America lost citizens and I lost family in the deadly hurricane that struck Puerto Rico less than one year ago,” Sen. Chappelle-Nadal said. “This morning, the president spoke about those deaths on social media. Mr. President – my uncle’s death is not fiction, it is one of nearly 3,000 heartbreaking examples of a reality you refuse to acknowledge.”
This morning, Sept. 13, the president tweeted, “3,000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000… …..This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico. If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list. Bad politics. I love Puerto Rico!”
Senator Chappelle-Nadal, herself a person of Puerto Rican heritage, has dozens of family members in Puerto Rico. One of her great uncles, an American veteran, died in the hurricane’s aftermath.
The president officially filed his 2020 reelection campaign with the Federal Elections Commission on Jan. 20, 2017. As the president is an official candidate in 2020, he would be required to undergo a mental health evaluation if Congress implements the reforms detailed in Sen. Chappelle-Nadal’s resolution.
Senator Chappelle-Nadal’s resolution can be found on the Missouri Senate’s website.