Uncle Sam Wants Your Newborn's DNA Posted by Pile (16044 views) [E-Mail link]

President Bush last week signed into law a bill which will see the federal government begin to screen the DNA of all newborn babies in the U.S. within six months, a move critics have described as the first step towards the establishment of a national DNA database.

Described as a "national contingency plan" the justification for the new law S. 1858, known as The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007, is that it represents preparation for any sort of "public health emergency."



The bill states that the federal government should "continue to carry out, coordinate, and expand research in newborn screening" and "maintain a central clearinghouse of current information on newborn screening... ensuring that the clearinghouse is available on the Internet and is updated at least quarterly".



Sections of the bill also make it clear that DNA may be used in genetic experiments and tests.



One health care expert and prominent critic of DNA screening is Twila Brase, president of the Citizens' Council on Health Care who has written a detailed analysis of the new law in which she warns that it represents the first program of populationwide genetic testing.



Brase states that S.1858 and H.R. 3825, the House version of the bill, will:



* Establish a national list of genetic conditions for which newborns and children are to be tested.

* Establish protocols for the linking and sharing of genetic test results nationwide.

* Build surveillance systems for tracking the health status and health outcomes of individuals diagnosed at birth with a genetic defect or trait.

* Use the newborn screening program as an opportunity for government agencies to identify, list, and study "secondary conditions" of individuals and their families.

* Subject citizens to genetic research without their knowledge or consent.



"Soon, under this bill, the DNA of all citizens will be housed in government genomic biobanks and considered governmental property for government research," Brase writes. "The DNA taken at birth from every citizen is essentially owned by the government, and every citizen becomes a potential subject of government-sponsored genetic research."



"The public is clueless. S. 1858 imposes a federal agenda of DNA databanking and population-wide genetic research. It does not require consent and there are no requirements to fully inform parents about the warehousing of their child's DNA for the purpose of genetic research."

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Posted by Ron Paul 2008. on 2008-05-02 22:38:11 I think this is a terrible idea. If I ever have a child, he/she won't submit any DNA to the government for any reason. You won't have a choice...

Posted by Cynic on 2008-05-02 23:26:50 Most states takes your newborns blood to screen for blood disorders. You don't have a choice in the matter. That blood contains plenty of DNA. Might as well

Posted by Anonymous on 2008-05-03 00:01:39 continue with home births, no hospital birth no problem with the stealing of DNA. Posted by 1984hasarrived on 2008-05-03 05:09:24 This is scary - why not just tag them with an RFID at the same time? This has been going on for a long time.....

Posted by Jeff on 2008-05-03 12:34:17 but now they're going to really start rolling out programs around it so they have to announce it.



Look forward to genetic discrimination and gene specific bio weapons. We All Need to Get Really Active

Posted by Some Guy on 2008-05-04 19:52:41 Here are some suggestions on what we can do.



http://mrxfromplanetx.com/take-action

http://mrxfromplanetx.com/naomi-wolf



This link is on the Take Action page http://alternativeconservative.com/caucus



Be sure to read it. It explains why we keep winding up with such shitty choices when it comes to who to vote for. paranoia

Posted by haha on 2008-05-06 11:16:59 if the govt wants your blood they will find a way to get it. If your truly this paranoid about it then never goto the hospital or doctor again, don't let a single drop of blood out of your body ever again. Seriously what do you think the govt will do with this dna..clone you and replace you? Get real. Has it occurred to everyone....?

Posted by Leopardstripes on 2008-05-06 13:53:34 It's entirely possible that they *could* take mandatory samples when we get our kids vaccinated!Or, it could easily be "required" as a part of regular dental care (I'm thinking the swab tests, here...)

Home births or no, vaccinations are required to get our children into public and private schools- so do we all homeschool...? And who goes without dental care for their kids? This is very, very disturbing...the possibilities for abuse are just about endless. How large of a step would it be to start a little domestic eugenics program? It's not an issue of cloning....it's more an issue of what sort of manipulations could occur...yikes. Posted by nocode000 on 2008-05-06 17:55:02 Another example of big brother/big government at work! Posted by Bullnala on 2008-05-07 23:11:10 This could also have concequences as far as Health insurance goes. What's to stop insurance companies from refusing cover based on your genetic pre-dispostion to a particular disease? Pirate

Posted by Elise on 2008-05-15 17:31:16 this is frightening! I think we should put a stop to this, in the most extreme way, stop getting pregnant! if there is a boycott, if that term may be used to describe the cessation of nationwide pregnancies, then what can they do? if there are no newborns to screen, then they lose. imagine the impact of such a statement. we have the right to refuse! Can We Stop the New World Order?

Posted by carouselle on 2008-05-18 10:22:00 Let's face it folks, the best we can hope for is to delay the inevitable. We can continue to fight as best we can, but those in power positions in government, business, and even religion will eventually get their way. All the advantages are on their side.

I happen to be a Christian, not affiliated with any church or denomination. I believe in Biblical prophesy. We are being prepared now to accept a one-world government and religion. Now is the time to choose which side you are on. God's or the world's. Mr.

Posted by Stan on 2008-12-25 12:09:55 Don't like it? Sue 'em. This is a violation of your fourth amendment right to privacy - not that that means a hell of a lot these days. Time To Start The Killing

Posted by KILL on 2010-11-21 13:10:17 HEADS ON PIKES Name: (change name for anonymous posting) Title: Comments: 1 Article displayed.