This action effectively puts the kibosh on the burgeoning DNA sequencing companies, the kind of which Professor Pitney frequented when he got his DNA sequenced.
The bill also ties into federalism in that by not providing a federal solution to the issue of genetic discrimination several state governments have stepped in.
Now Sen. Coburn, acting perhaps out of principle, perhaps out of concern for his constituents, would certainly not score points in Fantasy Congress. ;) According to George Will, he just doesn't do earmarks.
As a fellow pro-lifer, Sen. Coburn has long been a hero of mine. Here's a quotation of his that really resonates with me and reiterates some of the things we've discussed in class.
"Our founding fathers never envisioned a situation in which people would make a career of elective politics. They viewed public office as a temporary sacrifice....More and more we are represented in Congress by politicians who do not live in our communities, who do not share our values, who do not understand our problems, and who do not respond to our needs and wishes. They are a privileged political elite who justify their existence by spending our money, raising our taxes, and regulating our lives. They vote themselves huge salaries, hire large staffs who spend much of their time engaged in activities designed to re-elect their employers, and send us thinly disguised campaign mail at our own expense to convince us of our need to retain them in office." --Tom Coburn, at his announcement to run for Oklahoma House district in 1994, (Breach of Trust, 2003, 9).
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