I won't claim personal perfection in this area, either, but there is something about members of the Republican party who just can't even begin to grasp what it's like to face a problem until they face that particular problem themselves. Though to give Kirk credit, he didn't actually have to face not being able to get enough treatment to realize that it would suck.
It's a small example, but years ago for some reason part of the conservative culture was mocking ADHD diagnoses and treatment. It was some sort of liberal conspiracy that I never figured out. Mona Charen would occasionally write these pleading apologetic columns arguing that it was real, as presumably one of her kids was diagnosed.
