The U.S. House of Representatives voted 268 to 148 in favor of H.R. 1424, also known as the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act.  The Act mandates that insurers cover addiction and mental illness on par with other illnesses.  Parity supporters sought -- and received -- a strong bipartisan vote in favor of the bill to back their case for adoption of the House legislation in negotiations with the Senate, which passed the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 by unanimous consent on Sept. 18. 2007. The House bill received critical support from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who appeared at a pre-vote rally on the steps of the Capitol and spoke in favor of the measure during the floor debate on March 5.  The two houses of Congress will now need to meet and reach a compromise on parity if the legislation is to move swiftly toward a vote in a legislative calendar shortened by the presidential election season.