Former Rhode Island Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy III has joined the majority of his family in supporting President Joe Biden for a second term.
In a Sunday interview, Kennedy, the son of the late Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy, commended Biden for his commitment to mental health. Kennedy, who has been a vocal advocate for increased mental health resources due to his own experiences with bipolar disorder and drug addiction, highlighted Biden’s efforts in this area.
“He’s challenging insurance companies by enforcing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which I had the honor of authoring alongside my late father during our time in Congress,” Kennedy shared with CNN. “Additionally, he’s allocated the most substantial funding for community mental health across the nation.”
He added, “If the addiction crisis and mental health crisis are concerns for you, Joe Biden is your candidate.” Kennedy also referenced Biden’s personal connection to the issue through his son Hunter. “He understands this issue firsthand. It’s something that has deeply affected him, and it resonates with many Americans who have faced similar challenges.”
When questioned about his cousin, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and whether he might affect the 2024 election outcome, Kennedy avoided direct criticism.
“I am concerned about the potential election of Donald Trump because, as others have mentioned, our democracy is truly at risk,” the former congressman stated.
“This Memorial Day weekend, we honor those who sacrificed their lives to defend democracy, including my uncle Joe Kennedy, who died at 28 while over Germany trying to take out [Adolph] Hitler’s buzz bombs,” he continued. “Currently, the threat to democracy is domestic. We must ensure everyone votes for Joe Biden and choose democracy over autocracy.”
Kennedy made history as the first Generation X member of Congress upon his election to represent Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District in 1994. During his tenure, he entered a drug rehabilitation center twice, including once in 2006 after a car crash at Capitol Hill. He pled guilty to driving under the influence of prescription drugs and consequently received a one-year probation sentence, a $350 fine, and mandatory attendance at weekly urine tests, twice-weekly meetings with a probation officer, and near-daily Alcoholics Anonymous sessions.
After stepping down in 2009, Kennedy co-founded One Mind, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mental health, and served as an advisor to former President Donald Trump on the Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission.
According to RealClearPolitics, Trump leads Biden by an average of 2 percentage points when third-party and independent candidates are factored in. This margin narrows to 1 point when respondents are not given other options.
