Americans may be forgiven for calling their lawmakers “lunatics” given the partisanship that has consumed Washington, but that term will no longer be allowed in laws promulgated by Congress.
The House of Representatives voted 398-1 on Wednesday to strike the word “lunatic” from all federal legislation.
With the Senate having approved the measure earlier this year, the bill now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.
“Federal law should reflect the 21st century understanding of mental illness and disease, and that the continued use of this pejorative term has no place in the US Code,” Senator Kent Conrad said earlier this year in pushing for the term’s removal.
The largely symbolic measure is the latest step in a move by legislators to expunge antiquated or demeaning federal government language, after several professional health associations had requested the change.
The term still appears on some parts of federal law, notably in a section of banking regulations that addresses guardianship matters and the power of a bank to act as “committee of estates of lunatics.”
The lone vote against the measure was cast by Republican Louie Gohmert, who told The Hill newspaper that he believes the word has a place in current political discourse.
“In fact, it occurred to me that not only should we not… eliminate the term ‘lunatic’ at a time when we are facing national bankruptcy if we don’t get serious about our issues, but we should also use the term to identify those who want to continue doing business as usual around this town,” Gohmert said.
Congress strikes word 'lunatic' from US laws
