https://www.dailykos.com/news/geneticinformationnondiscriminationact News Community Action Copyright 2005 - Steal what you want Sun, 26 Jan 2020 14:46:48 +0000 Sun, 26 Jan 2020 14:46:48 +0000 Daily Kos rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos) Daily Kos rss@dailykos.com (Daily Kos) https://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/27/463997/-Why-Hasn-t-the-Genetic-Information-Nondiscrimination-Act-Passed-the-Senate <p>The short answer is: It's Harry Reid's fault. But let me back up a bit.</p> <p>The New York Times published <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/health/24dna.html?pagewanted=all">an important article</a> February 24 on the fears that many Americans have about seeking out genetic testing for disease. A positive test for a pre-disposition to a genetically-based disease could lead to higher health insurance premiums, a loss of coverage altogether, or even the loss of a job.</p> <p>It's a scary situation for anyone, especially for those who have family histories of such illnesses. Do you get tested and put your healthcare and job at risk? Or avoid testing - and, of course, put your very health at risk?</p> <p>Fortunately, Rep. Louise Slaughter has a solution (at least until we have universal healthcare). After twelve years of being rebuffed by recidivist Republicans, Rep. Slaughter was finally able to pass the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (aka GINA) after Democrats re-took the House last year. As she <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/4/26/105510/570/681/327820">explained at the time</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>GINA will prevent the improper use of genetic information when workforce and insurance decisions are made. To put it another way, employers and insurance companies will be prohibited from using genetic information as a factor in determining hiring, firing, promotion, or medical coverage decisions. It will allow people to take and participate in genetic tests that could save their lives and the lives of others, without fear of their test results being used against them. </p> </blockquote> <p>The bill passed overwhelmingly, 420-3. Everyone assumed that passage in the Senate would be a cakewalk - a similar bill had been approved in that body twice before, and even President Bush said he would sign it. But that was until Sen. Tom Coburn's ugly mug showed up on the scene.</p> <p>Coburn actually voted <em>for</em> GINA in 2005, yet now he's placed a "hold" on the bill. <a href="http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/11/genomics_sidebar">Rep. Slaughter says</a> that Coburn's excuses for his hold "don't make sense," but what makes even less sense is Harry Reid's respect for that hold.</p> <p>A hold, as we well know, simply means that the senator placing it intends to (or at least claims he or she will) filibuster the bill if it's brought to the floor. The surest way to test the sincerity of such a claim is for the Majority Leader - in this case, Reid - to actually go ahead and force a vote on the bill. Seeing as the 2005 version of GINA <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&amp;session=1&amp;vote=00011">passed by 98-0</a>, there's no way Coburn could muster 39 other Republicans to sustain his filibuster.</p> <p>So why the hell is Harry Reid honoring this sure-to-fail hold?</p> <p>There is no reason that I can discern. We can't even pretend that Reid is doing this out of a too-great fealty to Senate tradition - we are all too familiar, by now, with his ugly history of ignoring holds placed by fellow Democrats, such as those placed by <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/11/1/195710/170">Ron Wyden</a> and <a href="http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/004502.php">Chris Dodd</a>. If Reid has no problems running roughshod over the perogatives of members of his own caucus, then surely he can disregard Coburn's abusive and senseless hold as well.</p> <p>I'm not a reflexive Reid basher, but there is no justification for this. I expect the Tom Coburns of the world to be irredeemable jerks. And I expect our party's Senate Majority Leader to recognize that and govern accordingly. Reid needs to steamroll Coburn's hold immediately. Countless Americans, who wrongly are forced to live in fear of the consequences of genetic testing, deserve no less.</p> rss@dailykos.com (David Nir) geneticinformationnondiscriminationact GINA Harry Reid HarryReid TomCoburn _463997 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:12:30 +0000 https://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/15/422552/-Alert-Stop-Senator-Mitch-McConnell-From-Promoting-Genetic-Discrimination <p>Fellow Kossaks,</p> <p>The health and vitality of a nation&rsquo;s democracy can be measured by the willingness of the citizenry of a country to participate in the political process. &nbsp;</p> <p>That is why I come to you today.</p> <p>As you read this, the content of the omnibus appropriations bill is being hammered out. &nbsp;At this very moment, decisions are being made that will affect each and every one of us.</p> <p>And I need your help.</p> <p>Right now, <a href="http://mcconnell.senate.gov/">Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell</a> (R-KY), leading the negotiations for the Senate Republicans, is trying to strike a bill from the legislative package that I sponsored, H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). &nbsp;</p> rss@dailykos.com (Rep Louise Slaughter) geneticinformationnondiscriminationact Kentucky LouiseSlaughter MinorityLeader MitchMcConnell Recommended Republican _422552 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 21:05:44 +0000 https://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/9/3/380130/-Pentagon-Mistreats-Soldiers-and-Vets-Again <p>In last week's issue of <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7157/full/448969a.html">Nature</a> magazine (behind subs firewall) the Editors drew attention to the fact that the military is at it again, shafting veterans and active duty soldiers on the issue of medical benefits. This time its the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, a bill before Congress that bans the use of genetic information to discriminate against health care recipients. Guess who's fighting the bill using the heavy hand of (R)Tom Coburn. The Health Insurance Industry, of course. Yeah, I know; that was a real difficult guess. You're totally shocked.</p> <p>But then again, guess who's been granted an exemption, largely without comment or public discussion? The Pentagon. While that might not shock you, it should make you very, very angry. &nbsp;</p> rss@dailykos.com (Uncle Bob) geneticinformationnondiscriminationact Genetics Health Care HealthCare Military _380130 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 02:16:56 +0000 https://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/26/350724/-Are-you-safe-from-your-genes-Action-item-calls-needed <p>Are you safe from your genes?</p> <p>Or, more importantly, are you safe from your insurance company? <br />Are you safe from your employer?</p> <p>For many years one of our intrepid Kossack pols has been trying to get protection for us. &nbsp;Louise Slaughter has come by to tell us about it, most recently here: <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/4/26/105510/570">GINA Finally Passes the House!</a></p> <p><strong>GINA</strong>, or the <strong><ins>G</ins>enetic <ins>I</ins>nformation <ins>N</ins>on-discrimination <ins>A</ins>ct</strong> is at the plate. &nbsp;For those of you who want to see the full text, <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/R?cp110:FLD010:@1(hr028):">here is the Thomas search</a>.</p> rss@dailykos.com (mem from somerville) 110thCongress geneticinformationnondiscriminationact Genetics GINA Health Care Health Insurance HealthCare HealthInsurance House LouiseSlaughter Medicine Senate _350724 Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:49:36 +0000 https://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/11/333629/-Genetic-Information-Nondiscrimination-Act-held-up-by-Sen-Coburn <p>Yes he did it again... this is the same guy who managed to galvanize the bigot vote during the 2004 Oklahoma Senate race, and squeak one by Rep. Brad Carson.</p> rss@dailykos.com (MrBurns17) geneticinformationnondiscriminationact Health Insurance HealthInsurance Oklahoma Republicans TomCoburn _333629 Fri, 11 May 2007 20:12:30 +0000