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Daschle, Pelosi Vow to Repeal Homeland Security Provision Shielding Drug Makers From Liability
Yahoo News ^ | 11/27/02

Posted on 11/27/2002 9:36:14 AM PST by Libloather

Sen. Daschle, Rep. Pelosi Vow to Repeal Homeland Security Provision Shielding Drug Makers From Liability
Press Release Source: Safe Minds
Wednesday November 27, 10:05 am ET
Claims That Congress can 'Fix' the Problem Are Misleading

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Safe Minds and the Mercury Policy Project are hailing a statement by the US House and Senate leadership that they will work to repeal a corporate special-interest provision in the Homeland Security Bill. The provision wipes out all legal remedies for thousands of autistic children harmed by mercury in infant vaccines and must be eliminated, the two groups working to prevent mercury-related injuries said today.

"We strongly support Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and House Democratic Leader-Elect Nancy Pelosi's vow to remove egregious special interest provisions, including the thimerosal liability shield for Eli Lilly," said Michael Bender, Director of the Mercury Policy Project.

As passed, the Homeland bill allows the families to re-file their claims in a special administrative court for vaccine-related injury cases where it takes years for cases to be heard and 87% of the claims filed are denied. And claims can only be made by parents if their child's first symptom of neurological damage occurred within the last three years, which effectively bars many families from going to court to hold Lilly accountable for their children's injuries, the groups said.

"It is a sad state of affairs when the Congress and the White House conspire to benefit a pharmaceutical giant at the expense of injured children and families whose lives have been shattered by corporate wrongdoing," said Lyn Redwood, RN, president of Safe Minds and the parent of a child who developed multiple disabilities after receiving 125 times the government-recommended exposure to mercury. "Eli Lilly has been allowed to exploit a national threat to America to further their own agenda."

The provision to benefit Lilly -- which was added to the unrelated Homeland Security Bill at the last minute -- affects lawsuits against the drug maker for injuries caused by its product thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that was used in infant vaccines until a few years ago.

"Claims by Republican congressional leaders that they will "fix" the provision next year are empty promises because it will be too late," said Michael Bender, Director of the Mercury Policy Project. "Once President Bush signs the bill -- which will happen any day -- Eli Lilly can go to court and have all the mercury vaccine-related lawsuits against it dismissed immediately."

According to Redwood, after conversations with senate staff, the "fix" will do little if anything to right this wrong. "Our children have been silenced once by autism and now the votes of Congress have silenced them again," said Redwood. "The right thing to do would be to pass legislation as soon as possible to strike the thimerosal provisions."

The lawsuits were filed by the families of children who developed autism, learning disabilities and other neurological problems after multiple mercury exposures. It takes hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to care for a severely autistic child and millions over the victim's lifetime.


TOPICS: Extended News; Government
KEYWORDS: daschle; drugmakers; homelandsecurity; liability; pelosi
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1 posted on 11/27/2002 9:36:15 AM PST by Libloather
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To: Libloather
Good luck since you don't control squat
2 posted on 11/27/2002 9:38:45 AM PST by 2banana
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To: Libloather
Repeal the Democratic Party Charter!

Ops4 God Bless America!
3 posted on 11/27/2002 9:38:52 AM PST by OPS4
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To: 2banana
Wow a vow!
4 posted on 11/27/2002 9:43:56 AM PST by Arthur Wildfire! March
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To: Libloather
Another blow against the RATS. Cripple the Trial Lawyers.
5 posted on 11/27/2002 9:48:10 AM PST by justshutupandtakeit
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To: Libloather
Sen. Daschle, Rep. Pelosi Vow to Repeal Homeland Security Provision Shielding Drug Makers From Liability

Hey Nancy! 228 beats 205 every single time. Good luck with that assignment!

6 posted on 11/27/2002 9:50:38 AM PST by Cable225
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To: Libloather
Typical one-sided presentation. Pelosi and Daschle don't care about these people, they're just trying to line the pockets of the trial lawyer leeches. To this date, there appears to be no demonstrable link between the mercury-based preservative used in vaccines and the onset of autism, other than coincidence. I have great sympathy for those parents, but the case has not been made. And there is much good in not letting the trial lawyers get these cases in front of corporation-hating jurors.
7 posted on 11/27/2002 9:50:48 AM PST by talleyman
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To: Libloather
""We strongly support Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and House Democratic Leader-Elect Nancy Pelosi's vow to remove egregious special interest provisions, including the thimerosal liability shield for Eli Lilly," said Michael Bender, Director of the Mercury Policy Project.

Mr. Bender must not have heard about Daschle's new status, which will virtually guarantee that such a repeal will never see the light of day on the Senate floor.

Michael

8 posted on 11/27/2002 9:52:39 AM PST by Wright is right!
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To: Libloather
great campaign stuff as the democrats fight for law suits
9 posted on 11/27/2002 9:53:42 AM PST by The Wizard
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To: talleyman
The one extremely flawed study that linked vaccinations to autism involved a vaccine that had no mercury in it.
10 posted on 11/27/2002 9:54:13 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: Libloather

they are not the leadership


11 posted on 11/27/2002 9:54:40 AM PST by The Wizard
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To: Libloather
In my opinion, and as I heard Senator Orin Hatch speak about, we need a "super majority" in both houses of Congress so we can get "real" tort reform.
Compensatory damages are appropiate to recover loss [all real loss]. Punitive damages are another matter. Those seem to be rewarded by juries in the zillions to punish (even when punishment is not right or necessary) any company, business or doctor into bankruptcy and out of business or practice.
Example: Mississippi and OB-GYNs, Nevada and trauma centers...all going away or becoming extinct because of trial lawyers and huge punitive damages.

Bottom line: the suing of companies for things that are not their fault and winning multiple-millions has got to change.

Insurance companies will make premiums for insuring everything either prohibitively expensive or will refuse to insure at all.
No wonder companies want to re-locate to Asia and elsewhere.

12 posted on 11/27/2002 10:06:03 AM PST by KriegerGeist
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: The Wizard
I pray that TORT REFORM is the issue next year. Look at what the Missisippi did yesterday to the lawyers.
14 posted on 11/27/2002 10:08:50 AM PST by bybybill
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To: Libloather
It's a trick - the only way the Dems will be able to claim obstructionism by the Reps is to try to push through the no-makum-no-sense bills...
15 posted on 11/27/2002 10:11:59 AM PST by trebb
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To: The Wizard
No Trent "notta" Lott is the so-called leader & HE WANTS TO FIX IT. Got it! He will cave to the Dems. Betcha Betcha. If the drug company would take the offensive & make adds showing the deaths that would occur if the Tommy & Nancy show get their way then watch how those RATS would respond. you see they have always been on the offense. They know not how to respond in a defense manner. (BTW I'm not certain that this S-pox is as safe as reported & I personally know members in the medical field that have studied this & are NOT going to take the shots. That's scary.)
16 posted on 11/27/2002 10:12:29 AM PST by Digger
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To: Wright is right!
This issue is comming up.

Remember that Daschle and Lieberman amendment to the HOmeland Security bill that was defeated 52 to 48 with Landrieu as the last senator to vote? She voted against the amendment.

Daschle had the agreements of Chaffee and Snowe to vote for the amendment. That would have made the vote 50 for to 49 against and then Landrieu was to cast the vote killing the Homeland Security bill. They were going to run ads in Lousiana showing Landrieu as the powerful senator who singlehandedly defeated the unbeatable George Bush. Landreiu stopps Bush COLD in his TRACKS was to be the headline nationwide.

Lott got Chaffee and Snow to a meeting. He got Hastert on a cell phone. Dennis was in Turkey. They agreed to bring these items to the floor for a vote in the next congress. That is what it took to get Snowe and Chafee's votes against the amendment that would have killed the bill.

They did not tell Daschle and he had a cow when Snowe and Chafee failed to join McCain in voting for the amendment. That left McCain dangling in the breeze... for all the Republicans to enjoy.

Daschle was certain that he had Lott beat. As someone said, Daschle has a LOTT to learn about controlling the Senate. What Lott and Hastert did not do is get any approval from Tom Delay .... and did not committ Tom to any action.

They will not get it repealed but it will get brought to a vote in both the house and the senate. But I wanted you to know that when it comes up in the senate, why Lott is bringing it up. Few of us thought that Denny and Lott could turn Chaffee and Snowe around. But they did it.

Lott is the most rare of all political leaders. He never takes the credit for his victories. Can you imagine how much Daschle would have crowed if he had had as big a victory as Lott had? Lott leaves the credit for others to take. Howerver Lott is always ready to accept the blame for failures. If you wonder why he gets re-elected by unanomous vote... that just might be a slight tiny clue.

17 posted on 11/27/2002 10:19:24 AM PST by Common Tator
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To: Geist Krieger
I would like to see a calculation of the added costs of goods and services and increased taxes that have resulted from the abuse of our legal system by trial lawyers and crooked judges.
18 posted on 11/27/2002 10:19:47 AM PST by Ben Hecks
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To: Digger
You are probably correct about Trent not standing up to the Dems (and trial lawyers)....I think I heard his brother or (in-law) is a big time success in the smokers trial lawyers winnings.
19 posted on 11/27/2002 10:31:29 AM PST by goodnesswins
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To: Libloather
When you tax something, you get less of it. When you sue something you get less of it (except if you're a trial lawyer).
20 posted on 11/27/2002 10:35:28 AM PST by ampat
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