Are Republican senators playing political football with the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act? The L.A. Weekly has the scoop:
"L.A. Weekly has learned that, just a day after the actor's death, one or more Republican senators put a surprise hold on the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act. The uncontroversial legislation had been expected to sail through committee and then the Senate as easily as it had the House of Representatives where it passed 418 to zero last week. Congressional sources confirmed to L.A. Weekly Tuesday that the hold was placed on the oft-called 'feel good' legislation from the Republican side of the aisle. Democratic members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions are trying to find out which Republican senator or senators sandbagged S. 1010. The way the Senate system works, any senator can hold up a bill without accountability because anonymity is assured. A source inside the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation told L.A. Weekly on Tuesday. 'We heard it was because Chris has been too outspoken on the stem-cell issue. That was the trigger. So it would have passed if Chris hadn't died.' But the actor's bill had NOTHING to do with stem-cell research. Not only did the legislation have bipartisan co-sponsorship, Reeve's foundation cited the support of Bush cabinet member Tommy Thompson, the Health and Human Services secretary."
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