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GOP Senators Say They Do Not Plan To Delay Hearing For Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Tuesday that GOP senators would not use procedural maneuvers to delay Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor"s confirmation hearing, CQ Today reports. According to CQ Today, "It could be in the Republicans" own political interest to go ahead with the Sotomayor hearings as currently scheduled," because it would allow them to "argue that the Senate Finance Committee cannot mark up its version of a health care overhaul next week because four of its GOP members" -- including ranking Republican Charles Grassley (Iowa) -- also serve on the Judiciary Committee. The first hearing is scheduled to begin Monday. Sessions said, "We"re going to do our best to be ready Monday" (Perine, CQ Today, 7/7). Barring any unexpected developments, Sotomayor should be confirmed before the August recess, according to The Hill. Republicans this spring had pushed for delaying a floor vote to the fall, but the change of course shows that Democrats "continue to enjoy the upper hand" in the confirmation process, The Hill reports. It also indicates that most Republicans agree with Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that only a week of hearings will be necessary (Rushing, The Hill, 7/7).

Bring On The "Suds": Prototype, 7-Foot-Tall Sanitizer Automates Disinfection Of Hard-to-Clean Hospital Equipment
Johns Hopkins experts in applied physics, computer engineering, infectious diseases, emergency medicine, microbiology, pathology and surgery have unveiled a 7-foot-tall, $10,000 shower-cubicle-shaped device that automatically sanitizes in 30 minutes all sorts of hard-to-clean equipment in the highly trafficked hospital emergency department. The novel device can sanitize and disinfect equipment of all shapes and sizes, from intravenous line poles and blood pressure cuffs, to pulse oximeter wires and electrocardiogram (EKG) wires, to computer keyboards and cellphones.
News of the day
Massachusetts Cuts Health Coverage By $115 Million
"Overseers of Massachusetts" trailblazing health care program made their first cuts recently, trimming $115 million, or 12 percent, from Commonwealth Care, which subsidizes premiums for needy residents and is the centerpiece of the 2006 law," according to the Boston Globe. The Connector Authority board made the cuts in response to two recession side effects: "the state budget crisis and a surge in enrollment by the recently unemployed." Commonwealth Care"s enrollment has increased in the last three months from 165,000 member to 177,000 members, and is projected to grow to 212,000 next year.
Medical Devices

Job Seekers With Disabilities Face Discrimination At Application Stage, UK

In a snapshot survey published by Terrence Higgins Trust today, two thirds of top organisations were found to ask irrelevant health related questions on job application forms. A coalition of charities wants these questions banned to reduce the discrimination faced by people with "invisible" conditions such as mental illness or HIV. HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), NAT (National AIDS Trust) and leading mental health charity Rethink are among the organisations that want an amendment to the Equality Bill to ban irrelevant health-related questions until after a job offer has been made. Employers could still ask in advance about conditions which would affect a candidate"s ability to undertake that particular role. THT surveyed the application forms of 50 organisations including charities, local councils, government departments, police forces, fire brigades, health services, law firms, colleges, and housing and construction companies. 66% asked medical questions on their application forms including questions asking whether candidates have specific disabilities. Some companies also expect candidates to undergo medical examinations and even blood tests, prior to being offered jobs. Under the current system, employers are allowed to ask about disabilities, if the candidate is taking medication or has a medical condition - even if it has no relevance to the job. This can lead to discrimination and allows employers to make decisions based on prejudice, rather than ability. The coalition wants to see the Equality Bill amended to prevent this from happening. In the United States and a significant number of EU member states, pre-interview disclosure is against the law, offering significant protection to people with disabilities and long-term medical conditions. Sir Nick Partridge, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust said "Some companies use the answers to these health related questions as a way of cutting out potential candidates. Someone with HIV could be the best person for a job but could be turned down because of assumptions the employer makes about their health. This is unacceptable. All we want to see is a system which gives people with stigmatised conditions a fair chance." Paul Corry, Rethink Director of Public Affairs, says: "This survey shows what job seekers are up against - irrelevant questions about their health before they have even applied for a position. Such questions can create a very real fear of discrimination and discourage some good candidates from putting themselves forward. Others feel they have to lie to get an interview. Those who are up-front about their medical history tell us that it is almost impossible to find a job. "The Government is committed to helping people with mental health problems back to work. Pre-employment questionnaires are a major barrier to this. The Equality Bill is the perfect opportunity to address this issue." THT is running an e-campaign against discrimination in recruitment. People can sign up by visiting http://www.tht.org.uk/campaign or by searching for "end discrimination in recruitment" on the Facebook causes application. Notes - Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK"s largest HIV and sexual health charity with centres across England, Scotland and Wales. We"re here to provide information and advice about HIV and sexual health and offer a range of services including sexual health checks, counselling and support groups. We campaign for a world where people with HIV live healthy lives, free from prejudice and discrimination and we promote good sexual health as a right and reality for all. Terrence Higgins Trust relies on donations to deliver a wide range of services. To make a donation, visit http://www.tht.org.uk - NAT (National AIDS Trust) is the UK"s leading charity dedicated to transforming society"s response to HIV. We provide fresh thinking, expert advice and practical res. We campaign for change. Shaping attitudes. Challenging injustice. Changing lives. http://www.nat.org.uk - Rethink is the UK"s leading national mental health membership charity, works to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life. We aim to provide hope and empowerment through effective services and support to all those who need us and campaign for change through greater awareness and understanding. http://www.rethink.org - This campaign is supported by THT, NAT Rethink, the Disability Charities Consortium, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Mind, the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, the Employers" Forum on Disability, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, RNID and the BMA. Terrence Higgins Trust


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