Advocacy Update: GINA Will Not Be
Included in 2008 Budget Bill
As many of you know, the PKD Foundation issued an urgent Action Alert
regarding GINA on Friday, Dec. 14, asking advocates to call the leadership of
the U.S. House and urge them to include GINA as part of the 2008 budget bill
that will be voted on by Congress this week.
Your response was tremendous, so much so that some Congressional offices
had to disconnect their phones because of the overwhelming number of phone
calls they received.
The good news is that you have helped us substantially raise the awareness
level of GINA with the House leadership, which includes Speaker Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Minority Leader John
Boehner (R-OH). We must report, however, that the House leadership decided
over the weekend not to include GINA in the budget bill.
Why was GINA not included in the bill?
- President Bush indicated that he would veto any budget bill that wasn’t
“clean,” meaning he would veto any budget bill that was sent to him with
amendments unrelated to the actual budget.
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), bowing to pressure from
the “big business” lobby, indicated he would block the Senate from considering
any budget bill that contained GINA.
- Supporters of GINA ultimately decided, based on the first two points
above, that the legislation should be debated and voted on later as a “stand
alone” bill.
We must keeping pushing for GINA
While we are disappointed that GINA will not become law before the end of the
year, we are not discouraged. Your phone calls showed that GINA has wide
support across the country. More than 14 million people in America have a
genetic disease or condition that leaves them at risk for genetic discrimination.
It is important that PKD patients and their families and friends keep contacting
Members of Congress to push for passage of GINA when 2008 begins. This bill
faces significant opposition from the big business lobby, which includes the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, among
others. Those special interest groups do not want GINA to pass because they
don’t want employers to be held accountable for genetic discrimination. They
do not want employers to incur the costs associated with defending themselves
against genetic discrimination lawsuits.
Big business stands in the way of GINA
Unfortunately, the message of the big business lobby resonates loudly with
many Members of Congress. The big business lobby has millions of dollars at
its disposal to influence our elected officials to oppose this bill. The PKD
Foundation does not have the money to influence Members of Congress in that
way.
We do, however, have you. All that money doesn’t make the big business
lobby’s stand on this issue right. Discrimination is wrong, whether it’s based on
race, religion, age, gender or genetics. Congress will eventually do what’s
right and pass GINA, but our advocates must keep up the pressure. That’s why
your help is critically important to our efforts.
Stay tuned in 2008 as we make our next move to get GINA through the U.S.
Senate and signed into law. To sign up for Action Alerts, click here.
Calling All Advocates From Nevada and Kentucky
The PKD Foundation is looking for advocates from Nevada and Kentucky who
would be willing to participate in the PKD Champions United on the Hill event
on March 3-4, 2008, in Washington, D.C. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(D-NV) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have the power to
move GINA to the floor of the Senate for debate and a vote.
The PKD Foundation wants to send a delegation to each office in March to call
for the Senate to pass GINA, but we need at least one or two constituents from
each state to get access for a meeting. Unfortunately, we don’t have anyone
from either state who has signed up to participate.
If you are willing to help us end genetic discrimination for millions of Americans
with PKD and other disease, please contact Dan Lara, government relations
manager, at (816) 268-8480 or larad@pkdcure.org as soon as
possible.
Click here to register for the Champions on the Hill event!
Learn more about goverment advocacy