James M. Jeffords: “all of us are privileged to be living in an era of unprecedented scientific discovery in the biological sciences. Since…”

“all of us are privileged to be living in an era of unprecedented scientific discovery in the biological sciences. Since 1953, when James Watson and Francis Crick first identified the structure of DNA or the double helix we have relentlessly increased our ability to decipher an individual's hereditary information. At the time of their discovery, Watson and Crick said that they had ``found the secret of life'' and to be certain, life, as we know it, has not been the same since. Today, we have the entire genetic map--the human genome--that is revealing a greater understanding of a range of diseases and their treatment. We also have a much greater capacity to know an individual's biological destiny as it is encoded in their DNA, which is essentially a personal genetic blueprint of their current biology as well as a predictor of their biological future. The benefit of knowing this information cannot be overstated. It can save countless lives. Part of the challenge of having this information is to ensure that it not be used unfairly to influence an individual's sociological destiny. This is the reason I am joining with Senator Snowe and our other colleagues in support of S. 306, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2005. S. 306 will prohibit discrimination against individuals based on their genetic makeup in both health insurance and employment. This legislation represents a major contribution to civil rights law.”