McCain Senior Policy Advisor Responds To Autism Questionnaire
Managing Editor's Note: This is the companion post to Rebecca Estepp's post on Senator McCain's response to her request for a response on vaccine safety.
From: Douglas Holtz-Eakin
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 6:35 PM
Subject: <no subject>
Rebecca:
Sorry to send these to you so late, but I have been traveling and this is the first open window.
1) With regard to question number one as to whether or not Senator McCain will issue an Executive Order banning the use of thimerosal in vaccines for children and pregnant women:
In July 1999, the Public Health Service agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure. Concerns about the use of thimerosal in vaccines and other products have been raised, and because of these concerns, the Food and Drug Administration has worked with, and continues to work with, vaccine manufacturers to reduce or eliminate thimerosal from vaccines. If elected, Senator McCain will work with all Public Health Service agencies to ensure that we take all necessary steps in an expedient manner to ensure safe vaccines for every American family.
2) With regard to question number two as it relates to the current schedule:
John McCain believes the key to health care reform is to restore control to the patients themselves. Families should be in charge of their health care…and have more control over care. In light of this, John McCain believes in the right for individuals and in the case of children, parents, to make informed health care decisions, and does not support pre-empting these prerogatives.
John McCain is very concerned about the rising incidence of autism among America's children and has continually supported research into its causes and treatment. He has heard countless stories about families' hardships in obtaining a diagnosis for their child's autism, accessing quality medical treatment, and receiving appropriate education services.
John McCain was proud to support the Combating Autism Act of 2006, which he cosponsored, and worked to ensure its enactment into law. This Act is helping to increase public awareness and screening of autism spectrum disorder and promote the use of evidence-based interventions. It also created autism Centers of Excellence for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research and Epidemiology.
John McCain understands that despite the scientific research efforts to date, the exact causes of autism are not yet known and greater research to understand this disorder is needed. That is why in November 2007, he joined with Senator Lieberman in requesting the leadership of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal research into autism, to hold a hearing on federal research efforts regarding factors affecting incidence and treatment in order to help determine where research efforts can best be directed. As president, John McCain will work to advance federal research into autism, promote early screening, and identify better treatment options, while ensuring the appropriate support and resources for children with autism and their families are available so that they may reach their full potential.
John McCain believes in government transparency and the importance of public confidence, and to that end, John McCain will pursue necessary reform to ensure safe vaccines for every American family.
Douglas Holtz-Eakin
Senior Policy Advisor
John McCain 2008
Frank F, have we got a website for you! These are not all state laws we are dealing with. There is a federal law you need to contact your U.S. Representative about - one of many actions on the federal level that we desperately need - a study of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated populations. The elimination of Thimerosal and the establishment of an agency that oversees the CDC are others. Check out the legislation here...
http://capwiz.com/a-champ/home/
Posted by: sign lady | October 24, 2008 at 06:31 PM
Karenatlanta gets it precisely right.
Let's use all our energy to hammer *both* sides, and make our voices heard.
One of these 2 candidates will soon be President; let's make sure that person has heard us loud and clear.
Posted by: Terri Lewis | October 24, 2008 at 12:56 PM
What does the opinion of any presidential candidate have to do with vaccination policy? These are *state* laws we are all dealing with.
What can a president do to influence CDC guidelines? Any politician trying to influence "science" will be hammered and ridiculed.
Posted by: Frank F | October 24, 2008 at 12:22 PM
All battle lines aside, in 2 short weeks our campaign leverage time is OVER!
Let's hammer both sides on all our issues.
Major polls have this election split down the middle now, with 11% undecided.
IBD/TIPP (Investers Business Daily) Tracking Poll: Day Eleven
Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008
McCain has cut into Obama's lead for a second day and is now just 1.1 points behind. The spread was 3.7 Wednesday and 6.0 Tuesday. The Republican is making headway with middle- and working- class voters, and has surged 10 points in two days among those earning between $30,000 and $75,000. He has also gone from an 11-point deficit to a 9-point lead among Catholics.
Whether Republican, Democrat or Independent make your needs known.
NOW IS THE TIME!
Get out to events where politicians are campaigning.
Tell them we want vaccine choice, safer more regulated vaccines and your child's story.
Let's stop bickering and do our respective part. If Obama ends up in office I will be glad for the parents who gifted him "Autism Yesterday" or stood in line to detail vaccine damage.
Even though he is not my choice.
I hope whoever ends up in the oval office has our issues in their face!
We have precious little time left to maximize our efforts as voters.
Posted by: karenatlanta | October 24, 2008 at 10:18 AM
Think McCain has a great answer read Palin answer to waiting list for services.
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=102301&catid=188
Posted by: getgo | October 23, 2008 at 10:51 PM
I can't believe how this nit wit side-stepped directly answering the questions.
The question is an WHEO to ban Thimerosal:
And we get:
"If elected, Senator McCain will work with all Public Health Service agencies to ensure that we take all necessary steps in an expedient manner to ensure safe vaccines for every American family."
First of all, anybody with common sense knows you work against PHS in order to ensure safe vaccines. He dodged banning Thimerosal period.
The second question is for giving parents the choice when to vaccinate.
"In light of this, John McCain believes in the right for individuals and in the case of children, parents, to make informed health care decisions, and does not support pre-empting these prerogatives."
This guy must have wrote: "like nailing jello to the wall".
How many people were more interested in FOX NEWS skipping Cindy McCain on a bus for more info on those two diagnosis machines?
http://small-url.com/?7A
Posted by: Media Scholar | October 23, 2008 at 02:13 PM
"John McCain will pursue necessary reform to ensure safe vaccines for every American family."
That statement strongly implies that reform of the vaccine program is necessary, and that he'll pursue it. I haven't seen a statement like that from Obama. No issue trumps the atrocity we're now experiencing. Everything else is fixable.
Posted by: sign lady | October 23, 2008 at 01:27 PM
McCain can't even run his own campaign. He didn't get to pick his running mate. How is he gonna stand up to Pharma, and the Congresscritters who are beholden to Pharma, when he can't even stand up to the people who are supposed to be working for him? It's great that he talks about autism on the campaign trail, and I'm disappointed by Obama's lack of information or interest in this issue. But I really don't believe either one of them is going to do diddly squat for us. It doesn't matter which one is elected, we are still going to have to help ourselves by being the biggest imaginable thorns in everyone's sides until we get what we need.
Posted by: Garbo | October 23, 2008 at 01:02 PM
Recovery from autism is possible. Check out:
http://www.recoveredautism.com
Posted by: headlineher | October 23, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Too cautious, too cagey-- moreso than past responses. I'd have to be really leaning towards McCain for more reasons than just autism to see anything different in these answers from the responses of other candidates. It's got that whole "see what you want to see" horoscope generality. You will meet a dark stranger. You will travel...
Evidence based medicine just sounds like more psych drug treatments to me, which is always the most prevalent recommendation made by the IACC committee for CAA. We're looking that particular "gift horse" in the mouth. We're looking for reality based medicine this time around.
And, at the moment, my husband and I have control of our children's treatments. Complete, out-of-pocket control. Things could get worse (hey, we could be in Maryland), of course, which is why I'm voting to protect the First Amendment this election, first and foremost.
Posted by: Gatogorra | October 23, 2008 at 10:26 AM
at least he responded to the question. The status quo aside, he' understands that families are being affected and simply stating that parents should be allowed to have the final say in their child's medical care is tantamount to telling government to leave us alone. this is great and simply reassures me in my decision to support the Mccain / Palin Ticket.
We still have a loooong way to go!
Posted by: curt linderman sr | October 23, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Now that we are down in the polls ...
Best start developing a plan on how to educate Obama once he's elected and doesn't have to concern himself with pharmica's campaign donations.
Posted by: Keith | October 23, 2008 at 09:42 AM
At least they responded. Almost answered question #2. Pretty good for batch of newspeak.
Posted by: Fielding J. Hurst | October 23, 2008 at 09:19 AM
It sounds to me like McCain would maintain the status quo.
Posted by: L Land | October 23, 2008 at 08:28 AM