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