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Rep. Judy Biggert of Illinois for years has pushed a bill she says would
lower health-care costs, advance medical research and help people live
longer. House leaders always spurned her efforts by Jim Tankersley.

But with Democrats now running Congress, Biggert finally saw her bill pass
this week.

Which is ironic, because she's a Republican.

Biggert recognizes that aspect of Wednesday's 420-3 vote in favor of the
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which bars employers and insurers
from denying a job or health coverage to someone whom DNA tests show to be
genetically predisposed to a disease.

It was the first floor vote for any of the similar bills Biggert pushed in
the past, even though last year's version had 244 co-sponsors.

"Let's say it took longer to convince the leadership of the Republican
Party," Biggert said.

Her Democratic counterpart in sponsoring the bill, Rep. Louise Slaughter of
New York, is more blunt as to why this bill passed when previous efforts
failed to get a House committee hearing.

"Democrats," Slaughter said. " ... That's all there is to it."

The measure aims to ease Americans' fears of undergoing a genetic screen
that could detect a predisposition to, but not a certainty of, contracting a
disease, such as ovarian cancer or sickle cell anemia.

The more people submit to such screens, Biggert said, the more they might
seek preventive care. She said more people will do that if they needn't
worry about losing jobs or health coverage if a test detects something
troubling.

She and Slaughter say relieving those worries also will free more people to
participate in clinical trials for new drugs.

They built bipartisan support over the years. The 2006 co-sponsor list
included 117 Republicans and 127 Democrats. President Bush publicly vowed to
sign the bill.

But a key committee staffer opposed the effort and helped keep it bottled
up. So did the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which gives largely to Republicans
in federal races and has often rated Biggert as voting its way on more than
90 percent of issues it tracks.

A March 27 letter the chamber sent to House members said the bill would
"radically alter employer use and processing of health care information."

Every member of the House Democratic and Republican leadership teams voted
for it anyway, and Biggert and Slaughter expect it to pass the Senate.

Biggert mused Thursday on the lopsided tally in the House. "We had 420
votes," she said. "Why did it take us this long?"

[www.chicagotribune.com]