Brownback fails to revive disability diagnosis bill
September 18th, 2008An attempt to revive a measure designed to support parents and prospective parents receiving a diagnosis of a disability failed today when it did not gain the unanimous consent of the Senate.
Speaking before a photograph of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her son Trig, bill co-sponsor Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) repeatedly referred to S.1810 as a measure that would prevent abortions of fetuses with Down syndrome. “What we’re trying to do with this bill is to see that more Down syndrome children make it here and get here,” he said. “We’re ready to move forward on this so we can get more of these special kids here.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), speaking on behalf of the Senate leadership, raised objections to the bill being brought up alone rather than with other bills that were blocked in July.
S.1810, known as the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act, would provide information for parents and set up a registry of couples willing to adopt babies with disabilities. It was among a package of health care bills that went down in July when Senate Republicans blocked them in a partisan power play.
Brownback and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) were the original sponsors of the measure, which has been under consideration in various versions since 2005. Presidential candidate John McCain signed on as a co-sponsor last week.
UPDATE:
See also: ‘Coburn omnibus’ may get second try — Realclearpolitics.com
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is considering new maneuvers to free up dozens of pieces of legislation before Congress leaves Washington in two weeks.
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September 21st, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Doesn’t sound as though Liz has actually spoken with any actual Republicans. We don’t have to fake concern for babies with Down Syndrome, because we live the real thing. Our agenda is to offer women in unintended pregnancies real options, not just death for their babies. We’ve been helping women, for free, since the mid-60s. I challenge you, Liz, to seek out a young, prolife Republican woman and speak with her. Yes, we do exist, and many of us are still of childbearing age!
September 19th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
To the previous comment: it’s dangerous to make assumptions, especially ones that are uninformed. There was actually three democrats and one independent that held this up. This is a bi-partisan measure that many support because it promotes accurate and balanced information — nothing political or wrong about that…..
What is wrong is when a doctor tells expecting parents that a disability equals a dismal existence and nothing else…
– Republican, working mother to three (one of whom happens to have T 21)
September 19th, 2008 at 9:07 am
I don’t see the Republicans, or most politicians for that matter, bothering to listen to people living with disabilities — their constituents and voters. Instead they trumpet this fake concern for fetuses with Downs not because they care about people living with Downs but because it is on their agenda to deny women the right to have abortions at all. It burns me up.