Dr. No Says Yes To Genetic Discrimination

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn continues to create image problems for the state with meaningless political stunts and obstinate support for corporations over people.

Coburn, a Republican, recently put a “hold” on legislation known as the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The bill, authored by U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-New York), prohibits employers from discriminating against anyone for their genetic predisposition. Recent advances in DNA research have made such a law crucial. This is a pressing contemporary issue.

The bill is nonpartisan and has overwhelming support. It passed the House on a 420-3 vote and passed on two Senate votes by 95-0 and 98-0 margins. The Bush White House has issued statements of support for the bill.

Any Senator can place a hold on legislation to stop it from advancing. Coburn did just that with the GINA bill because, according to a news report, he believes the bill raises the “possibility that an employer who provides health insurance for its workers could be sued both as an insurer and as an employer. That means employers could be hit for much higher damages than insurers.”

Coburn is siding with corporations over people. Thanks to Coburn's "hold," employers might be able to deny employment, promotion and insurance to anyone who might be predisposed to disease or cancer. So if a parent, for example, has ever had cancer or suffered from a chronic illness, her/his children may well be denied health care in the future because of the connection between genetics and heredity.

Coburn’s love of big corporations over ordinary, hard-working Oklahomans, has made its way around the Internet and news outlets, and there is even a petition drive underway to try to force Coburn to remove the hold. Click here and here and here to find out how the rest of the world views Coburn’s actions.

Coburn has a reputation for what can only be described as political stunts or meaningless political gestures. The GOP national base may see him as a jolly ol’ contrarian, “Dr. No,” as George Will describes him, but his actions only further embarrass and isolate the state. (U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe does this almost daily with his bizarre obsession with denying scientific evidence about global warming.) Why is a Senator from Oklahoma doing so much to work against the interests of his own state, which has high rates of uninsured people, historically low per capita income levels and poor health care access? When will the state again elect a Senator who will actually do something positive for its residents?

Meanwhile, Coburn continues to draw support from the corporate media here.