Tell Senator Coburn that You Won't Stand for Genetic Discrimination!

[rodeodance]

Rep. Louise M. Slaughter wrote:
>
> Thursday, September 13, 2007
>
>
> Dear xxxx,
>
> end genetic discrimination
For over a decade in the House of Representatives, I have worked to pass a bill called the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, known as GINA.
>
> GINA Protects Americans from Discrimination Based on their Genetic Profile.
http://votelouise.com/page/petition/GINA

> GINA will make it illegal for health insurers to discriminate against an individual because of a genetic predisposition to develop a disease in the future. It also bars employers from using genetic information for hiring, firing, or other decisions.
>
> This April my hopes were raised when the House of Representatives passed GINA by a vote of 420 to 3. With GINA successfully passed through the House, it was expected to pass the Senate as it had before and head to the President's desk where it would be signed into law.
>
> Unfortunately, Senator Coburn from Oklahoma has Decided Otherwise.
>
> Through an unusual rule in the U.S. Senate, Senator Coburn has placed a hold on GINA, effectively preventing its consideration and passage. Just imagine -- one man has the ability and audacity to prevent the passage of an important law even though nearly every single Member of the House and Senate, not to mention the President of the United States, supports it!
>
> What's more, Senator Coburn is blocking GINA even though he supported the bill last Congress! And this is not Senator Coburn's only unfair hold on a piece of legislation -- we've learned that he has secretly placed holds on 85 other bills –- an unprecedented number.
>
> I’m Asking You To Join Me in Standing Against Senator Coburn and Genetic Discrimination!
>
> Friends, the importance of this legislation can not be taken lightly. We all must remember that there is not a single person on this planet that carries with them perfect genes -- every one of us carries a predisposition to illnesses, and therefore we are all vulnerable to genetic discrimination.
>
> Sign the Petition and Tell Senator Coburn that You Won't Stand for Genetic Discrimination!
>
> In Solidarity,
>
> signature
>
> Rep. Louise M. Slaughter
>
> P.S. Please be certain to help spread the word about this important issue by forwarding this email on to your friends, family and co-workers.
>
>
> Paid for and authorized by Louise Slaughter Re-Election Committee
> Contributions to Louise Slaughter Re-Election Committee
> are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

[rodeodance]

1. please REC

[Richard Steele]

4. Done!

[rodeodance]

8. Thanks. He is a physician and should be ashamed of himself.

[acmavm]

2. Why? Why would some smarmy bastard put a hold on this?

[Demeter]

6. Because It's Gay Rights, Women's Rights, ADA, all Rolled Into One Big Bill

On the basis of genetic discrimination ban, we'd HAVE an ERA. We'd HAVE marriage for all.

We'd have the whole ball of wax, everything except the socialism portion: income distribution equity and national health care.

That's Why.

[Vincardog]

7. To ensure his masters at the insurance companies would never have to pay a cent in benefits.

And to help weed out we undesirables from the breeding pool of the "MASTER RACE".

[daninthemoon]

13. Exactly so. He is also a big rw nutjob. I guarantee, no matter how

much mail he gets about this, he won't change his vote.

[acmavm]

15. I see.

[Richard Steele]

23. I suspect he's doing a lucrative side-business selling these "blocks" to special interests.

Why else keep quiet about it?

He's done this 85 times now. If those 85 blocks
had come from genuine political convictions, he'd
be BRAGGING about them; constantly holding them up
as proof of what an "effective" Repub he is.

He'd be mentioning it in every conversation and renting
billboards to get the word out, if he thought that his
"blocks" were legitimate and could withstand scrutiny.

[cali]

3. k&r what a creep Coburn is n/t

[rodeodance]

9. self-rightous prick.

[TwilightGardener]

5. Why is Coburn such a sanctimonious underhanded assclown?

[rodeodance]

10. and thanks Ms Slaughter for working on this ----for all of us.

[BadgerKid]

11. big K&R

I didn't know about GINA, but I've said as much on DU before.

[Maat]

12. I'm ashamed to say that my in-laws voted for this jerk.

Tom Coburn is about imposing his twisted values (ulta-right religious values) upon the rest of us.

He is not about consideration, fairness or respect - just ask the kid who he sterilized without permission.

As a physician, he should be ashamed of himself - he certainly is not about securing decent healthcare for Americans.

He is anti-government, and WANTS to see government programs fail.

Edited to all that I no longer converse on a regular basis with the relatives in question (nothing beyond a "Hello" as I pass the phone).

[lazyriver]

14. We need 67 votes in the Senate to stop the war...

but Coburn can stop a bill pretty much everybody wants all by his little ol' self. Something doesn't sound right to me.

[Vincardog]

16. That is BS. We do not need 60 votes to NOT PASS funding for the illegal occupation,

We (at least our leadership) control the calender.
They do not even have allow a illegal occupation funding bill to appear on the schedule.

The 60 votes and "MUST PASS" are all smoke screens to allow the corporate masters to continue to skim their illegal profits.

[lazyriver]

17. That was actually the point I was trying to make.

It seems some leaders on our side keep saying "we need X amount of votes" to stop this war when in fact, we don't. The Repugs seem to stop Dem initiatives with a single f'ing person over and over again by utilizing the procedural tools allowed to them under Senate/Congressional rules. Why can't (won't) we do the same thing?

It is situations like this that cause me to loose faith in the leadership of the Senate and House.

[Richard Steele]

18. Yes indeed. Where were the DEM "blocks" when we were the minority?

Did the repubs need 60 votes to pass every bill back then?

This shit is just MADDENING! :mad:

[lazyriver]

21. I don't know how much madder I can get.

What happened to "draining the swamp" and "showing Bush the way" out of Iraq?

I wanted to believe in Nancy and Harry, I really did, but they keep finding ways to dash the hopes I built up less than a year ago.

[Vincardog]

19. I believe the "leadership" of the Senate and House are working to preserve the status quo

They can not allow votes in impeachment and any real reforms because that would expose all the Vichy Democratic legislators. If they were forced to go on the record support the idiot bush we the votes might just vote their sorry a$$es out of our government. (Assuming a fair verifiable election can ever be had in this country)

[lazyriver]

20. Our entire government is starting to resemble one big bad

Hannity & Colmes Show. There is no doubt who is calling the shots and what used to be the Democratic Party is now playing Colmes to their Hannity. They stand as window dressing to keep the masses appeased by making us think there is opposition. However, when the real fight starts the current leadership cowers in the corner and lets Hannity shout them down. What drives me absolutely friggin crazy is the Democratic party is supposed to be in charge now.There was an election last year and we won. We have the power to cut their microphones any time we damn well please but nobody is doing it.

[Vincardog]

24. That is the rub. We have the majority but not enough to overcome a filibuster.

Remember what was it a year ago when a filibuster was anathema to our way of government?
Remember when darth cheney was going to go nuklar to keep those damned Democrats from having a voice in our government?

Now they let a few faux democrats steer the majority to lie down in jr's bed.

I call bullshit. No more Centrist crap about cooperating with the fascists.

No more moving to the right (aka Center) to try to appease the thugs.

The Democratic party has to stand up NOW for the working people of this country and say ENOUGH.

[AX10]

22. Coburn is the modern Dr. Mengels.