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Stories tagged with “Tammy Baldwin”

Health

Senators Push To End The Research Ban On HIV-Positive Organ Donations

By Sy Mukherjee on Feb 14, 2013 at 6:05 pm

Twenty five years after an amendment to the National Organ Transplant Act made it illegal for HIV-positive Americans to receive organ transplants from HIV-positive donors — or to even conduct research on such transplants — a bipartisan group of senators is hoping to reverse course.

Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) introduced the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act in the Senate on Thursday to “establish a regular review process in which the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary would evaluate the progress of medical research” into organ transplants between two HIV-positive people, with the eventual goal of eliminating the ban on such procedures entirely.

The amendment that led to the current ban was a consequence of the poor understanding of HIV/AIDS-related matters at the time. But as Coburn — who is a physician — said in a press release introducing the legislation, “Our scientific understanding of AIDS is much better than when this research ban was established. Those infected with HIV are now living much longer and, as a consequence, are suffering more kidney and liver failures. If research shows positive results, HIV positive patients will have an increased pool of donors.”

The number of HIV-positive patients successfully receiving liver, kidney, and heart transplants has been on the rise overall, as there is no formal law prohibiting HIV-positive patients from receiving organs from Americans who do not carry the virus. But the new push to end the ban on transplants between two HIV-positive individuals reflects the huge strides in HIV treatments and medical innovation over the last two decades, including the recent FDA approval of a once-a-day HIV treatment pill and vastly increased life expectancy for HIV-positive Americans.

Opening up avenues for organ transplants is especially critical given America’s unsustainable dearth of annually performed transplant operations, which leaves more than 70,000 Americans on transplant lists without the organs they need every year. “With so many lives at stake, it is time to end this outdated ban on research into organ donations between HIV-positive individuals,” Boxer said in the release. A concurrent bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA), a registered nurse.

NEWS FLASH

Mark Pocan Will Fill Tammy Baldwin’s House Seat | The AP is projecting that Mark Pocan (D) has won his election to fill Tammy Baldwin’s seat in Congress representing Wisconsin. This marks the first time a House seat has been held by two consecutive out lawmakers.

Economy

Wisconsin GOP Senate Candidate Doesn’t Understand Radical Anti-Tax Pledge He Signed

By Travis Waldron on Oct 19, 2012 at 10:45 am

Former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI)

Former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI)

Anti-tax lobbyist Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform and author of a radical anti-tax pledge that hundreds of Republican lawmakers have signed, was again the subject of a heated exchange at a Senate debate Thursday night, when Wisconsin GOP Senate candidate Tommy Thompson denied that his support for the Norquist pledge means he can’t support tax increases on the wealthy.

Thompson’s Democratic opponent, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, challenged Thompson for signing the pledge during the debate. Thompson called Baldwin’s claim that the pledge opposes tax increases on the wealthy “a plain falsehood,” and said that Baldwin had “misstated” the pledge in her description:

BALDWIN: Too many members of Congress, and my opponent is included in this, have taken a pledge to a Washington DC lobbyist by the name of Grover Norquist whereby they’ve sworn that they will not ever ask those with the most privilege to do more, to do their fair share –

THOMPSON: That’s just, that’s just plain falsehood.

BALDWIN: You signed the Grover Norquist pledge.

THOMPSON: That’s just a falsehood. You just misstated it.

BALDWIN: You signed the Grover Norquist pledge.

THOMPSON: And you signed the progressive tax bill.

Watch it:

Thompson has indeed signed the pledge, according to Americans for Tax Reform’s web site, and it is hardly a falsehood that Norquist’s pledge prohibits raising taxes on the wealthy. The pledge states clearly that its signers should “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rate for individuals and business,” and that “any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits” should also be opposed unless they are matched by further reductions in tax rates. Norquist has been clear that pledge-signers should oppose tax increases for anyone, the wealthy included.

Thompson isn’t the first Republican to get challenged on the pledge during Senate debates. Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake (R), a candidate for his state’s open Senate seat, promised not to sign the Norquist pledge during his debate, even though he has already signed it.

Election

GOP Senate Candidate Admits To Owning Stock In Companies That Do Business With Iran

By Igor Volsky on Oct 18, 2012 at 10:06 pm

Wisconsin U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson (R) acknowledged during a debate on Thursday that he recently sold stock in a company that did business with Iran, only after news reports highlighted his interests in the companies. The admission came as the former governor accused challenger Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) of being soft on the regime and voting against sanctions.

“I was so disturbed after having heard some of your rhetoric around my position on Iran to have read a report just hours before taking this stage that you have tens of thousands of dollars in investments in companies that do business with Iran, including a company that teams up with Iran doing Uranium mining in Africa,” Baldwin said in reaction to Thompson’s attacks. “I find that shocking. And, if you want to be tough on Iran, we have to isolate Iran. We have to make sure that companies don’t do business, to make sure that they are isolated in the world stage.”

Thompson responded by accusing Baldwin of opposing international sanctions and accepting $60,000 from Council for a Livable World — a group that supports “a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear program” and opposes military force:

THOMPSON: She also received a $60,000 in campaign funds, $60,000, ladies and gentleman, for a campaign from a company that believes and supports no sanctions in Iran. I heard about this stock…

BALDWIN: Who are you talking about?

THOMPSON: I heard about this stock. Wait a minute, let me finish. Let me finish, you had two minutes, let me finish. You want to interrupt me, Joe Biden, just give me a chance. The other thing is, ladies and gentlemen, is that she is talking about stock. I did not know about the fact that my stockbroker had purchased two shares, two company stocks. I sold it. I sold it today. I found out today and I sold it today. I do not tolerate, I do not agree with anybody doing business with Iran, none whatsoever. And I think you should turn back the $60,000 you got from that company that supports no sanctions for Iran.

Watch it:

Thompson’s personal financial disclosure show that he owns up $50,000 worth of stock in multiple firms that are owned by China and Russia and do business in Iran. As the Huffington Post’s Michael McAuliff reports, Thompson has “up to $1,000 in the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation, which were all cited in a recent Government Accountability Office study as having done business with Iran.” He also “owns up to $17,000 worth of stock in Royal Dutch Shell, which the GAO also named, and between $1,000 and $15,000 worth of stock in oil services firm Schlumberger, which has been probed by the Justice Department over its Iran work.” Finally, Thompson maintained “between $1,000 and $15,000 worth of stock in the mining operation Rio Tinto, which is partners with Iran in mining uranium. Iran owns 15 percent of a uranium mining operation in Namibia with Rio Tinto.”

Security

GOP Senate Candidate Calls Opponent ‘Anti-Jewish’

By Ben Armbruster on Oct 15, 2012 at 1:23 pm

Tommy Thompson

Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Wisconsin Tommy Thompson on Sunday said his opponent, Democratic congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is “anti-Jewish” and “anti-Israel.”

“Tammy Baldwin, her whole record is anti-Israel,” Thompson said at a press conference in Wauwatosa. “She voted for the first time for the sanctions three months ago because she knew she was running for the U.S. Senate. That is the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard.

“She’s anti-Israel, she’s anti-Jewish and she’s trying to now somehow obfuscate her views and her intentions,” the former governor added.

Thompson’s comments come on the heels of an attack ad released last week by the right-wing Emergency Committee for Israel, claiming Baldwin accused Israel of “war crimes” and said “terrorists who attacked Israel” are “innocent victims.”

Thompson didn’t provide any evidence to Baldwin’s purported anti-Semitism (her campaign pointed out that she recently spoke before a the Jewish Community Center in Whitefish Bay, WI). However, Thompson himself has a history with anti-Jewish rhetoric. In 2007 he was forced to apologize after saying that making money “is part of the Jewish tradition.”

“I just want to clarify something because I didn’t [by] any means want to infer or imply anything about Jews and finances and things,” he said, making his apology. “What I was referring to, ladies and gentlemen, is the accomplishments of the Jewish religion. You’ve been outstanding business people and I compliment you for that.”

Health

Republican Senate Candidate Can’t Decide If He’ll Repeal Obamacare

By Igor Volsky on Sep 29, 2012 at 11:16 am

Tommy Thompson, the Republican senate candidate in Wisconsin, couldn’t decide if he supports maintaing provisions of the Affordable Care Act, during a debate against challenger Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D) on Friday. Responding to a question about health care reform, the former governor and Health and Human Services secretary insisted that the entire law should be gutted, but seconds later admitted that certain provisions “absolutely need to be maintained”:

QUESTION: Governor, just so we’re clear. There is nothing in the Affordable Care Act right now that’s worth maintaining?

THOMPSON: No, no. Right now, the Affordable Care Act has 20 taxes increases. We got to do away with the Affordable Care Act and then we can put in things like making sure that individuals could be covered … But there are things in there like wellness and prevention, Bob, that I drafted when I was Secretary that are in the Affordable Care Act that absolutely need to be maintained. Chronic illnesses is something I started when I was Secretary of Health. That’s got to be maintained and be able to continue.

Watch it:

Thompson’s contradictory views on reform have haunted his campaign. As a lobbyist for health care interests, Thompson “was very helpful in implementation,” to the Obama administration and even urged Republican governors to adopt the law’s health insurance exchanges.

Last April, he lauded Obamacare’s payment reform provisions, saying they give “great discretion” for exermination with “alternative payment systems.” He even tried to dissuade the GOP from repealing the measure, telling CNBC in November 2010, “When it’s all said and done, you’re not going to be able to repeal health care because President Obama is not going to sign it… And they don’t have enough votes to override a veto, so why push a cart uphill when you know it’s not going to be able to get to the top?”

Thompson’s senate campaign website now lists “repealing Obamacare and replacing it with market-based solutions” among his top legislative priorities.

LGBT

Looking Back And Looking Forward On The Anniversary Of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Repeal

By Zack Ford on Sep 20, 2012 at 9:55 am

(Photo Credit: Brian Clark, The Virginian-Pilot)

One year ago today, lesbian, gay, and bisexual members of the military were first able to openly identify their orientations and their partners without fearing that they would lose their job as a result. The implementation of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” marked an important threshold for the dignity of the gay community and the respect granted them by society.

In the past year, there have been a number of firsts for the military as a result of the repeal, including the first reinstatement of someone who had been discharged under the policy, the first same-sex homecoming kiss, and the Pentagon’s first recognition of Pride month.

Still, many questions linger for the LGBT community. As Chris Geidner noted this week, the Defense Department has yet to address same-sex partner benefits for servicemembers. Republicans continue to try to overextend the Defense of Marriage Act’s limitations on the religious liberty of soldiers and chaplains. And despite DADT repeal, people who are transgender are still prohibited from serving their country because the military still deems such identities to be mental disorders. Though a big hurdle was conquered, LGBT people still experience disenfranchisement in the military.

To mark today’s occasion, here’s a look back at ThinkProgress’ exclusive interviews conducted live at last year’s repeal day celebration hosted by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Among everybody present, hope for a better tomorrow was in the air:

Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

BALDWIN: Once we see openly gay servicemen and women serving proudly in uniform, risking their lives for their country that they love and believe in, I think that just changes the dynamic forever.

Col. Grethe Cammermeyer

CAMMERMEYER: It’s probably the best day that I can think of for the American military as well as for American in general. What I said some months ago when it was first overturned… Until the repeal, we in the service represented the flag. Now, the flag represents us.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)

COONS: I frankly think [conservatives] profoundly misread the young people of America, who are far more open and tolerant, welcoming, and inclusive than generations before them, particularly around LGBT issues. I think they miss what is a basic cultural shift in the direction of tolerance.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)

LEVIN: “Change” has kind of been our middle name here in America. It’s another milestone on a road to a better county and a greater country, but it’s also proof that we can deal with our mistakes and correct them and pull together and be a better country when we do pull together.

Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)

UDALL: If Americans of all backgrounds, all regions speak up and draw attention to those discriminatory thoughts and policies, they’re going to fall through their own weight. They’re not going to last. They never do.

John Berry, White House Director of the Office of Personnel Management

BERRY: My dad was in the 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal. And before he passed away at 86, he was talking to me one night about this issue, and he said, “You know, I don’t know what all this fuss about gays in the military is all about.” He says, “You know, back then, we didn’t call them ‘gays,’ but they were there and they served and died as bravely as anybody else.”

For those of you who are serving, thank you. For those of you who have served, thank you. For those of you who will serve, God bless you. God bless each of you for your service. God bless all who serve our country. God bless our President, and God bless the United States of America.

LGBT

VIDEO: Tommy Thompson Actually Shrugged Off Top Adviser’s Gay-Baiting, Kept Him On Staff

By Zack Ford on Sep 12, 2012 at 10:20 am

ThinkProgress reported Tuesday evening that former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) apologized for the gay-baiting email and tweet sent by his political director Brian Nemoir targeting his Senate opponent Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D). But video of Thompson addressing the situation suggests that his concern over the incident is minimal, and he apparently feels he has to take no responsibility for Nemoir’s comments:

REPORTER: Does [Nemoir] remain with the campaign?

THOMPSON: Uhhh… yes, but in sort of a different role.

REPORTER: What is the change for Brian?

THOMPSON: Somebody else has taken over communications with the press.

Watch it:

Even though Thompson says he was “very upset,” he apparently was not upset enough to actually remove Nemoir from his campaign team, instead keeping him on for strategy. Thompson also claimed that Nemoir has apologized, but he hasn’t; in fact, Nemoir said he has no regrets, suggesting Baldwin’s sexual orientation is one of many “significant issues” in the campaign.

Baldwin spokesperson John Kraus reacted that “this was a test and Tommy Thompson failed the test,” referring to the five days it took him to respond and his apparent attempt to cover up the incident without holding Nemoir accountable.

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