Rep. Kennedy to enter rehab for addiction

updated 7:42 p.m. ET May 5, 2006

WASHINGTON - Rep. Patrick Kennedy said Friday he was entering treatment for addiction to prescription pain medication, a decision made after a highly publicized car crash near the Capitol that the congressman said he cannot recall.

Kennedy, D-R.I., said he would seek immediate treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

He announced his decision to reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference. He walked in alone, gripped the lectern, cleared his throat and began haltingly.

Kennedy, who has struggled with addiction and depression, said he had checked into the Mayo Clinic over the Christmas holidays and returned to Congress “reinvigorated and healthy.”

“Of course, in every recovery, each day has its ups and downs, but I have been strong, focused and productive since my return,” Kennedy said.

'Not how I want to live my life'
The congressman said he again became concerned about his condition after the Thursday morning car accident.

“I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police, or being cited for three driving infractions,” Kennedy said. “That’s not how I want to live my life. And that’s not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island.”

As he was leaving the room, Kennedy was asked whether he might resign, and he shook his head no. “I need to stay in the fight,” he said. He did not take other questions.

Kennedy — nephew of the late President Kennedy — was elected to Congress in 1994.

The congressman’s father, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., issued a statement saying he was proud of his son for admitting his problem and taking steps to correct it.

“He has taken full responsibility for events that occurred ... and he will continue to cooperate fully with any investigation,” the elder Kennedy said. He added, “I have the rare and special honor of being able to serve with my son in the Congress, and I have enormous respect for the work Patrick has done.”

The younger Kennedy said he hoped that his “openness today and in the past, and my acknowledgment that I need help, will give others the courage to get help if they need it.”

Kennedy was cited for three traffic violations after his early morning car crash Thursday near the Capitol, according to a police report.

The report by a U.S. Capitol Police officer said Kennedy drove his green 1997 Ford Mustang convertible into a security barrier near the Capitol shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday, and that Kennedy had red, watery eyes, slurred speech and unsteady balance.

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