Texas lawmaker works out compromise on autism bill

[Guest guest]

Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how much they DO plan to

spend

on environmental research.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/16171647.htm

Posted on Tue, Dec. 05, 2006

Texas lawmaker works out compromise on autism bill

By Recio

McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON - After a daily drumbeat of negative publicity from radio personality

Don

Imus that lasted for weeks, a Texas congressman has worked out a compromise on a

$945

million bill to fight autism.

The Combating Autism Act goes to the House of Representatives Wednesday for a

vote

under streamlined procedures. Supporters anticipate that the bill, which has

been revised

slightly from a Senate-passed version, will pass by the two-thirds vote margin

required

and then be sent back to the Senate for a vote before Congress adjourns on

Friday.

The five-year bill, introduced by departing Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., bumps up

research

for autism, a spectrum of developmental disorders that impair social

interaction, and calls

for coordinated research and early intervention programs. Autism, which appears

by age

3, occurs in one of 166 births.

After a battle over the legislation between autism activist organizations and

House Energy

and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton, R-Texas, eleven major groups said in

a

statement Tuesday that they supported the compromise.

" The amended version of the Combating Autism Act, on which the House will vote,

authorizes nearly $1 billion for autism research, including essential research

on

environmental factors, treatments, early identification and services, " said the

11 groups.

" It amounts to a declaration of war by the Congress of the United States on

autism. "

Kristi Hammer of Plano, Texas, who has a 4 {-year-old son who's autistic, said

of the

legislation: " It means so many things. It's a first in a huge step with the

government

acknowledging autism is a national emergency. There's a trickle-down effect in

research

with early intervention and screening.

" Hopefully, " said Hammer, " this bill will someday result in a cure for my son. "

Barton was resistant to moving a " disease-specific " bill while he was working on

legislation

that affects the National Institutes of Health. The NIH bill passed the House in

September,

but Barton still had problems with the autism bill's focus on the NIH and the

stipulation

that researchers study environmental factors that autism activists maintain

trigger the

disease.

The compromise allocates funding to NIH but directs the Atlanta-based Centers

for

Disease Control and Prevention to set up regional centers of excellence for

epidemiological research. The bill includes environmental factors in the list of

research

areas to be studied, but drops the Senate-passed version's provision for $45

million in

research on environmental factors.

House Energy and Commerce Committee spokesman Schweers said the changes in

the House bill are " consistent with Chairman Barton's view that scientists

should determine

research priorities, not politicians. "

The changes were a bitter pill for some of the activists, who said in their

statement that

" Chairman Barton is fully aware that the autism community would have preferred

House

action on the Senate-passed version of this bill. "

But others embraced the compromise.

" We welcome this bill, " said Marguerite Colston, director of communications for

the Autism

Society of America. " It means the federal government is taking a leadership role

in

diagnostics, causes and cures for autism. "

Barton staffers don't think Imus, whose New York-based radio program, " Imus in

the

Morning, " is seen nationally on MSNBC and heard across the country, helped the

cause by

calling the Texan " another congressional dirtbag " and worse. But autism

activists believe

that without the pressure, nothing would have happened with the bill.

" Imus, " said Hammer, " is our hero. "

[Guest guest]

Perhaps a huge study on how trees add to global warming by producing CO2.

Re: Texas lawmaker works out compromise on autism bill

It' a secret....>> Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how much they DO plan to spend> on environmental research.>

[Guest guest]

If they're going to look at anything related to global warming, they ought to look at what's happening with the large area of thawing permafrost in Siberia. If the permafrost continues to thaw and release methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, we're all going to be in big trouble, likely within a few decades. Aasa http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18725124.500 http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2006-09-06-permafrost-warming_x.htm?csp=34 (P.S., I assume you were being sarcastic...trees use carbon dioxide to produce oxygen, not the other way around..., or are they going to try and change that reality for us?)H <stratpat@...>

wrote: Perhaps a huge study on how trees add to global warming by producing CO2. Re: Texas lawmaker works out compromise on autism bill It' a secret....>> Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how much they DO plan to spend> on environmental research.>

[Guest guest]

Announcing NIH study in compliance with the Combating Autism Act: NIH will be spending gazillion dollars on a study examining the relationship between elephant droppings and autism. Hey, it's environmental, right?H <stratpat@...> wrote: Perhaps a huge study on how trees add to global warming by producing CO2. Re: Texas lawmaker works out compromise on autism bill It' a secret....>> Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how much they DO plan to spend> on environmental research.>

Want to start your own business? Learn how on Small Business.

[Guest guest]

I meant it as a joke.

But some do posit that trees, through forest fires, and through natural decay, actually add to CO2 concentrations and thus, global warming.

The ones who conjured up the theory are believed to get royalty checks from Russian oil companies.

Go figure.

Re: Texas lawmaker works out compromise on autism bill

It' a secret....>> Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how much they DO plan to spend> on environmental research.>

[Guest guest]

Be careful with that. Scientists are chasing $ just like everyone

else. There is tremendous pressure not to bend results in a

direction that gets you money and career longevity. For

example, " Tobacco Science. "

> > >

> > > Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how much

they DO

> > plan to spend

> > > on environmental research.

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> > Want to start your own business? Learn how on Small

Business.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

3 out of 4 CDC scientists surveyed say that thimerosal is yummy on

Ritz Crackers!

> > > >

> > > > Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how

much

> they DO

> > > plan to spend

> > > > on environmental research.

> > > >

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> > > ---------------------------------

> > > Want to start your own business? Learn how on Small

> Business.

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I know that to a level of certainty.

Stripped from all of the politics associated with the grant process, etc. and left to find some measure of the truth- the scientists will find same. I don't blame the scientists for crawling up the assholes of the politicians or the administrators or corrupt corporate sponsors, everybody's got to eat and they have very limited choices.

Re: Texas lawmaker works out compromise on autism bill

Be careful with that. Scientists are chasing $ just like everyone else. There is tremendous pressure not to bend results in a direction that gets you money and career longevity. For example, "Tobacco Science."> > >> > > Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how much they DO > > plan to spend> > > on environmental research.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------> > Want to start your own business? Learn how on Small Business.> >>

[Guest guest]

You think the CDC scientists believe any of this?

They know better.

BTW- mortgage payment is due on the 15th.

Re: Texas lawmaker works out compromise on autism bill

3 out of 4 CDC scientists surveyed say that thimerosal is yummy on Ritz Crackers!> > > >> > > > Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how much > they DO > > > plan to spend> > > > on environmental research.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------> > > Want to start your own business? Learn how on Small > Business.> > >> >>

[Guest guest]

True. Take for example the Alzheimer's researcher for the NIH, who was just

caught with

his hands deep in the pockets of pharma a few days ago. I can't think of his

name right

now.

> > > >

> > > > Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how much

> they DO

> > > plan to spend

> > > > on environmental research.

> > > >

> > >

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> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > ---------------------------------

> > > Want to start your own business? Learn how on Small

> Business.

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

It's called plausible deniability.

> > > > >

> > > > > Has anyone seen this?? I would like to know exactly how

> much

> > they DO

> > > > plan to spend

> > > > > on environmental research.

> > > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

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> > > >

> > > >

> > > > ---------------------------------

> > > > Want to start your own business? Learn how on Small

> > Business.

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Pearson Sunderland King <medfordkings1@...> wrote: True. Take for example the Alzheimer's researcher for the NIH, who was just caught with his hands deep in the pockets of pharma a few days ago. I can't think of his name right now.