Congress unites behind #FreeBritney

Pop star’s plight hits note with people of all stripes

WASHINGTON — At times, Congress can seem hopelessly divided. But there is one issue uniting members from both parties and chambers. Just days before the Fourth of July, Americans of all political stripes are coming together for the cause of liberty: #FreeBritney.

Following a mental health crisis in 2008, pop star Britney Spears has lived under the strict confines of a conservatorship that gives her father, Jamie Spears, almost plenary control over her personal life and massive fortune. Last week, the singer petitioned a California court to end the conservatorship, telling Judge Brenda Penny, “I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m OK and I’m happy,” she said. “I’m in shock. I’m traumatized … I’m so angry it’s insane.”

Spears’ testimony has sparked conversations across the nation about mental health, treatment, recovery and where to draw the limit on paternalistic interventions. Members of Congress have also begun to weigh in, calling Spears’ treatment outrageous.

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