SD lawmakers reject abortion ban for Down syndrome

by Chet Brokaw from the Associated Press and San Francisco Gate:

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A measure that would have banned aborting fetuses diagnosed with Down syndrome was rejected by a South Dakota legislative committee Thursday, with lawmakers saying it could jeopardize the state's legal defense of abortion restrictions passed in previous years.

Lawmakers on either side of the issue joined to defeat the bill despite an emotional plea from its sponsor, Rep. Isaac Latterell, R-Tea, who talked about his love for his two sisters, Eva and Grace, who have the genetic disorder.

"I hope you can see what a treasure my sisters are and how much they can teach us about what is truly important in life," Latterell said. "We must stop killing children simply because they have Down syndrome before they even have a chance to shower us with their love, as Eva and Grace have with me."

The House and Human Services Committee voted 8-4 to scrap the measure after a vote to pass it ended in a 6-6 tie.

More opinions on the defeated CRPD Treaty

Senate Republicans' profiles in moral cowardice

Washington Post (blog) - In 1945, in the mountains of northern Italy, a U.S. Army second lieutenant, attempting to reach a downed radio man, fell wounded under a hail of German machine-gun fire. When the lieutenant was brought to the hospital, the doctors at first thought he would ...

Shame! 38 Republican Senators Vote 'No' on the UN Treaty Banning ...

Huffington Post - The treaty was negotiated and first signed by President George W. Bush and then again signed by President Obama in 2009. More than 153 other countries have signed it. Ill and sitting in a wheelchair in the chamber, former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole ...

Republicans Block Disability Rights -- Which Would Not Cost a Nickel

Huffington Post - In what appears another "say no to anything from the White House" move, Senate Republicans blocked a United Nations treaty which could have helped disabled children, women and men around the world -- at no cost whatsoever to the American taxpayer.

The GOP votes against international disability accord

WBEZ (blog) - In the midst of all the headlines about how the cold-hearted GOP won't pass a middle-class tax cut until the president agrees to a tax cut on the rich, on Tuesday the Senate came up short on the two-thirds vote required to ratify the Convention on the Rights of ...

Senate had chance with global disabilities

Kearney Hub -  And that’s why it was so heartbreaking to see the 89-year-old Kansan in his wheelchair return to the Senate floor trying, in vain, to persuade fellow Republicans to vote for an international treaty to ban discrimination against people with disabilities.

 

Santorum Strikes Again

New York Times - Lately, you've probably been asking: “What ever happened to Rick Santorum? The guy who ran for president in the sweater vest? The one who compared homosexuality to bestiality and did 50 push-ups every morning?” It's certainly been on my mind.

Disabilities Treaty Coming Back?

First Things (blog) - MSNBC was positively crackling with outrage yesterday that the U.S. Senate rejected the UN treaty for persons with disabilities. John Kerry, the treaty's Senate shepherd, said it was “the saddest day of his 28 years in the Senate.” He was flabbergasted that the ...

Santorum: UN Disabilities Treaty Would've Had Bureaucrats Unseat Parents

Daily Beast - CRPD—whatever its intentions—has many troubling aspects. There is not a clear definition of “disability” in the treaty, which means some committee at the U.N. will decide after ratification who is covered—an example of what is at the heart of the problem.

Republicans Shot Down A UN Treaty To Protect The Disabled

Business Insider - The treaty, known as the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (CRPD) and negotiated by George W. Bush in 2006, would essentially make the Americans With Disabilities Act an international standard, requiring other signatories to implement ...

Tea Party scare tactics doom disabled treaty in Senate

Boston Globe - Twenty-two years ago, the United States passed landmark legislation forbidding discrimination against people with disabilities. That law put the United States at the forefront of the global struggle for equal treatment for the disabled. It inspired a United Nations ...

Home-schoolers, Don't Be Fooled by Those Politicians!

Babble - Attention homeschooling parents! Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum says a U.N. treaty designed to protect the disabled will allow foreign countries to come into your homes and make you stop teaching your kids! When I first heard the sweater-vest ...

Sen. Harkin says vote against disabilities treaty is based on 'unfounded fears'

DesMoinesRegister.com - Votes that nixed global guidelines for protecting people with disabilities were based on "unfounded fears," U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin said today. “I just don't understand this vote,” Harkin told Iowa reporters on a conference all this morning. “We just can't be voting ...

Senate rejects UN disability treaty

Examiner.com - In an unexpected move, the Senate rejected the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) yesterday. Of course, a majority of the Senate (61 senators) approved the international treaty, but the 38 Republicans voting against the ...

NBC: Republicans Make Disabled People Cry on 'One of the Saddest Days' in ...

NewsBusters (blog) - Employing sanctimonious rhetoric to paint Senate Republicans as cruel and heartless for opposing a U.N. treaty on disabled rights completely redundant to the Americans With Disabilities Act, on Tuesday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams lectured: ...

Disabling the Disabled

Huffington Post - WHERE was this kind of activity for the CRPD? It seems that a certain portion of this government is non-functional. The portion of this government that is not functioning is so bent on hate that it is dumping on those who can least afford it, and because of their ...

Treaty backers slam GOP for 'amazing slap in the face' to disabled

MSNBC - At issue was the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which allows for the international adaptation of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark legislation championed by President George H.W. Bush, ...

Sen. Kerry: Rejection of UN treaty on disabled rights a 'slap in the face'

The Hill (blog) - ‎Kerry rejected GOP criticism, saying that fears that ratifying the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) would impede on U.S. laws, were unfounded. "The bottom line is not one American law is affected by this treaty.

A clear-cut case for leadership

Albany Times Union - For the first 25 years of my life, I was as an able-bodied American. All of that changed three years ago. After I graduated from West Point, I was serving my country as an Army infantry officer in Afghanistan when I was seriously wounded. I stepped on the ...

Kerry blasts Santorum's opposition to disability treaty

CNN (blog) - It would have required us to submit progress reports to the CRPD Committee and contribute money to an international disability fund. We also could be sued if someone claimed we violated this treaty. It sounds like a great document for bureaucrats & lawyers, ...

The Arc Reacts to the U.S. Senate's Defeat of the Convention on the Rights of ...

San Francisco Chronicle - For months, The Arc's Public Policy team and grassroots advocates across the country have been working to promote the CRPD and ensure ratification. And in October 2012, The Arc hosted its annual convention in Washington, DC with Inclusion International, ...

McConnell, Paul Vote Against U.N. Disability Treaty

WFPL - CRPD could have changed all that. Paul's argument against the treaty falls along the same lines. “Sen. Paul believes it is always a mistake to surrender U.S. sovereignty to the United Nations, no matter the cause," Paul communications director Moira Bagley ...

Isolationist know-nothings

Bennington Banner - The opposition of all but eight Republicans in the U.S. Senate to a United Nations treaty on the rights of the disabled modeled on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enough on Tuesday to deny the necessary two-thirds vote needed for treaty ...

Rick Santorum: Senate Was Right To Reject UN Disabilities Treaty

Huffington Post - Who should make the critical health-care decisions for a child with a disability? A well-meaning, but faceless and distant United Nations bureaucrat, or a parent who has known, loved, and cared for the child since before birth? Read the whole story at Daily ...

GOP Paranoid Politics Defeats Disability Treaty in Senate, 61 - 38 

Beyond Chron - Veterans, disability and civil rights group lobbied, tweeted, and organized. But it wasn't enough. On December 4, at 9:29 a.m., thirty eight Republican Senators voted against the United Nations Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities (#CRPD).

Senate fails to ratify UN disabilities treaty

NBCNews.com - Conservative opponents said some countries with poor human rights records, like China, would get a pass. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports.

Jon Stewart: Have Republicans Hit 'Rock Bottom' With Failed United Nations ...

Huffington Post (satire) - For the second day in a row, Jon Stewart hammered at Republicans over irrational partisanship. On Tuesday, he took down Boehner and company's indecent fiscal cliff proposal, and on Wednesday "The Daily Show" host took senate Republicans to task for ...

For shame! Republicans snub Dole and others with disabilities

Pittsburgh Post Gazette - If ever there was a portrait of what is wrong with the Republican Party in its embrace of extremism, the Senate floor provided the dismal picture on Tuesday. There was former Sen. Bob Dole, once the Republican Party's nominee for president, seated in a ...

United Spinal Statement: Senate Vote on the Convention on the Rights of ...

Sacramento Bee - "Opposition to ratification of the treaty is based on several extreme assertions by the far right, including that ratifying the CRPD would endanger U.S. sovereignty and that parents would lose their ability to make decisions for their children with disabilities.

Tea Party movement is to blame for Senate's disgraceful defeat of the disabilities ...

Oak Ridger (blog) - Of all the bad things the far-right wing of the Republican Party has done in the halls of government in recent years, one of the worst was its rejection in the U.S. Senate this week of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (see HERE).

NDSC, NDSS & GDSF Collaborate on Prenatal Testing Issues

National Down Syndrome Congress, National Down Syndrome Society and Global Down Syndrome Foundation Collaborate on Prenatal Testing Issues  Multiple educational resources and tools exemplify unity around important global issues

The National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC), the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation (Global) announced a collaborative effort to create multiple educational resources and tools to address prenatal testing issues facing pregnant women as well as the Down syndrome community. Earlier this month, the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, and the National Down Syndrome Congress published the first Down Syndrome Prenatal Testing Pamphlet, an accurate, informative, easy-to-read resource for pregnant women and their families. The pamphlet is available in English and Spanish at www.downsyndrometest.org and is being distributed to pregnant women and to medical professionals who work with pregnant women. The creation of the pamphlet included input from medical professionals, parents, and survey results from over 200 people in the Down syndrome community. "NDSS applauds the efforts of NDSC and Global in getting this pamphlet out to women and families. NDSS has a long history of working on prenatal testing issues, and the NDSS statement on prenatal testing guides our involvement on this critical issue for our community, along with our Prenatal Testing Committee, made up of providers with decades of experience on prenatal testing, self-advocates, parents, board members, and staff," said Jon Colman, President of NDSS. In addition to the Down Syndrome Prenatal Testing Pamphlet, the NDSC and Global support the prenatal testing information state advocacy initiative being rolled out by NDSS. As part of its effort to ensure accurate, up-to-date and balanced information on prenatal testing, NDSS has created a first-of-its-kind toolkit that encourages states to pass legislation modeled after a bill recently passed in Massachusetts. The legislation echoes the Prenatally-Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Act (also known as the Kennedy-Brownback bill), which increases the provision of scientifically sound information and support services to patients receiving a positive test diagnosis for Down syndrome or other prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions. This toolkit includes state model legislation and advocacy tools. NDSS is working with local Down syndrome organizations and its statewide government affairs committees to pass prenatal information laws in several states. "The work of the NDSS and our pamphlet truly go hand in hand," said David Tolleson, Executive Director of the NDSC. "They are making the requirements of the Kennedy Brownback Bill - providing accurate information about prenatal testing and Down syndrome at the point of diagnosis - stronger on a state by state level. As they succeed, we will be there with our pamphlet to fulfill that requirement." "Working with NDSC and NDSS has been so exciting. As a parent, it is heartwarming to see so many excellent organizations coming together working on important global issues that affect hundreds of thousands of people," said Michelle Sie Whitten, Executive Director of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. "Besides NDSC, NDSS and Global, we now have Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action, the International Mosaic Down Syndrome Association and so many others. I honestly believe that today, more so than any time I have seen in the past, there is such a wonderful sense of passion, purpose, and professionalism in the Down syndrome community. When you put those three "p's" together the impact we are having is truly astounding." NDSC, NDSS and Global all have important information about prenatal testing and facts about Down syndrome on our websites. To view that information, please visit: www.ndsccenter.org/resources/new-and-expectant-parents  http://www.ndss.org/Resources/New-Expectant-Parents/Understanding-a-Diagnosis-of-Down-Syndrome/ http://www.globaldownsyndrome.org/about-down-syndrome/facts-about-down-syndrome

About the National Down Syndrome Congress Founded in 1973, the National Down Syndrome Congress is the oldest national organization for people with Down syndrome, their families, and the professionals who work with them.  A 501(c)(3) non-profit advocacy organization, the NDSC provides free technical support and information about issues related to Down syndrome throughout the lifespan, as well as on matters of public policy relating to disability rights.  Best known for its annual convention - the largest of its type in the world - the National Down Syndrome Congress is a grassroots organization recognized for its "family" feel, its "We're More Alike than Different" public awareness campaign, and, its outreach to individuals from diverse backgrounds. About the National Down Syndrome Society Since 1979, the National Down Syndrome Society ("NDSS") has worked to promote the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. NDSS has about 350 affiliates nationwide. The NDSS National Policy Center works with Congress and federal agencies to protect the rights of people with Down syndrome, and educates individuals to advocate on local, state and national levels. The largest NDSS public awareness campaign is My Great Story, which ignites a new way of thinking about people with Down syndrome by sharing stories written by and about them. The National Buddy Walk Program includes over 250 walks. NDSS envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations, and become valued members of welcoming communities. About the Global Down Syndrome Foundation The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is a public nonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education and advocacy. Formally established in 2009, the Foundation's primary focus is to support the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the first academic home in the U.S. committed to research and medical care for people with the condition. Fundraising and government advocacy that corrects the alarming disparity of national funding for people with Down syndrome is a major short-term goal. The Foundation organizes the Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show -- the single-largest annual fundraiser benefiting people with Down syndrome. Programmatically, the Foundation organizes and funds many programs and conferences, including the Dare to Play Football and Cheer Camps, Global Down Syndrome Educational Series, and Global Down Syndrome Multi-Language Resource Project. The Foundation is an inclusive organization without political or religious affiliation or intention.

 

Sign the ABLE Act Online Petition Today!

Many of you know about the Achieve A Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. It's a bill in Congress that will allow people who receive Medicad the ability to save money beyond the current $2,000 cap on assests.

Many organizations in the disability community are asking members of Congress to agree to cosponsor this bill and the response is very positive with bipartisan support. 21 Senators and 160 Representatives have agreed to cosponsor the ABLE Act and that continues to grow.

There is a petition on change.org that will help show the tremendous support for the ABLE Act by people with disabilities, their families, and friends. Please click the link below and add your name to the list of ABLE Act advocates!


CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
http://www.change.org/petitions/able-act



***************************************************************************

ABLE Act details:

• The ABLE Act in the 112th Congress - One Page Summary Sheet (.doc)

ABLE Act status and list of current cosponsors:

• H.R. 3423: ABLE Act of 2011
• S. 1872: ABLE Act of 2011

from realeconomicimpact.org:

• The U.S. Congress took a historic step on Nov. 15, 2011 for Americans with disabilities by reintroducing the Achieve a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, legislation long championed by National Disability Institute and other disability organizations as a key to providing a pathway to a better economic future for persons with disabilities and their families.
• With bipartisan support, Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) in the U.S. House of Representatives and Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) in the U.S. Senate reintroduced the the ABLE Act in 2012 (as H.R. 3423 and S. 1872, respectively) in an effort to encourage and assist individuals with disabilities and their families to set funds aside in a tax-advantaged savings account that allows the funds to be withdrawn to cover costs of health care, employment support, housing, transportation, the purchase of technology and lifelong education. The funds will supplement but not replace benefits provided through Medicaid, Social Security and private insurance, allowing families with sons or daughters with significant disabilities a means to provide for extra costs associated with every day activities and community participation. The income earned on amounts contributed to an ABLE Account would be tax exempt and not counted as part of any asset limits for eligibility to federal programs.