Fwd: Obama and Clinton Responses to A-CHAMP Autism and Vaccine Issues Questionnaire

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Obama and Clinton Respond to ACHAMP Questions

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Last December A-CHAMP began a campaign to obtain answers from all the presidential candidates to our autism issues questionnaire. We have received responses so far from Senators Obama, Clinton, Biden and Dodd. Below are the responses for Senators Obama and Clinton. We hope this will be useful in helping voters decide who to vote for in upcoming primaries and caucuses. We will continue our efforts to get responses for Senator McCain and Governor Huckabee. The responses below are unedited. Senator Obama's response is presented first because he returned his answers before Senator Clinton If this is useful to you please help A-CHAMP in our work. We are 100% volunteer organization and we survive on the generosity of people like you. Please click on the link below and sign up for our action alerts and please make a donation to help us get this important information to you. http://www.a-champ.org/donate.html Thank you. Please vote and please distribute this information widely. Senator Obama's Response to the A-CHAMP Autism Issues Questionnaire Will you fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act? As a member of the Illinois State Legislature I fought to support special education and as a U.S. Senator I have continued that fight. As president, I will fully fund IDEA so that we provide children with the support they need to receive a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment based upon best practices and with the goal of fully including them in schools and the community. As the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) increases, we must ensure that teachers, classrooms and school districts are prepared to meet their special needs. Do you believe that the Combating

Autism Act provides enough money to find the cause, or causes, of autism andeffective treatments? I supported the Combating Autism Act of 2006. It was a good start. As President I will make sure that money appropriated by Congress for autism spectrum disorders reaches the organizations and people that they were intended for. Research is important but it is only one of the

steps we need to take. Americans with ASD should be supported throughout the lifespan. Early diagnosis and early intervention has been proven to lessen the amount and intensity of services

Americans with ASD need as they grow older. We must appropriate the funds needed to support all Americans with disabilities. As president, I will go beyond the Combating Autism Act to develop a comprehensive autism policy that invests $1 billion annually by the end of my first term in office to address ASD on all fronts. I will also ensure that all federal efforts to combat ASD are coordinated through a central Federal ASD Coordinator who will work across agencies to better coordinate ASD research, awareness, treatment, and support for families. How much funding will you request to study potential environmental triggers of autism? There is much evidence to suggest that ASD is a genetically-based neurological condition with environmental triggers. As president, I will lead an effort to conduct research to confirm these findings and study the potential triggers. We must find out why many Americans have ASD and other special needs, the causes, and best treatments and intervention. Do you believe there is

an autism epidemic in the United States? Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the United Sates and, perhaps the world.. One in 150 children is diagnosed with ASD. These numbers can not be explained solely by increased awareness or changes to the diagnostic criteria. It is a health crisis and I will act accordingly. There are many Americans with special needs. They will have a partner in the federal government under my administration. What will you do to stop health insurers from discriminating against people with autism and their

families? Many parents and state legislatures have led the fight to prevent medical insurance companies from delaying and denying coverage to those with ASD, claiming it as a preexisting condition. Because of this, too many Americans with special needs and their families have struggled with a crushing financial burden. Many Americans have tried to do something about this, and I applaud their efforts. In South Carolina, for example, parents Marcella Ridley and Lorri Unumb

and state senators Lurie (D) and ® led the way in passing 's Law, which ensured that children with ASD would get the treatments they need. Of course, after we create

universal health care by the end of my first term as president, all Americans with ASD will have access to affordable and quality health care, regardless of “preexisting” conditions. What will you do to assure that health insurers pay for promising new treatments and behavioral therapy? As president I will work to create universal health care by the end of my first term so that all Americans have access to affordable health care. My health care plan will also

improve the quality of care available to Americans and uphold the principle of mental health parity. I will also work to bring Americans with ASD, their families and experts together to deal with important issues, like standardization of treatments, diagnostics, screening, and support for promising new treatments and therapy. Do you think vaccines should be investigated as a possible cause of autism? I believe that the next president must restore confidence and open

communication with the American people. This includes environmental policies and government funded research. An Obama administration will go where the science and the facts lead us, whether it is about climate change or toxic heavy metals in our environment. What will you do to protect Americans, especially young children and pregnant women, from exposure to mercury through vaccines? I support the removal of thimerosal from all vaccines and work to ensure that Americans have access to vaccines that are mercury free. What will you do to provide for the lifetime

care that 250,000 to 500,000 current children with autism will need in the future? ASD is not just a medical issue nor a children's issue. ASD affects behavior, communication and socialization and means that Americans with ASD will have a lifetime struggle to fully integrate within the community. However, the nation must also work to recognize the valued role that Americans with special needs have within our communities. Americans with special needs must be supported throughout their lifetimes. As President, I will work with the special

needs community to ensure that those with ASD acquire the skills and education they need, achieve to their fullest capabilities and live the independent life of a full citizen in their

community. I will support programs that create opportunities, improve the quality of life and maximize potential for all individuals with ASD and their families. Would you support a large-scale federal study of the differences in health outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups? Experience has taught that effective medical research must be " large-scale " and well funded. I believe Americans should know must know the health effects that caused by the

presence of mercury in vaccines. I will also support an examination of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation program, a program designed to compensate those injured by vaccinations. Would you support a federal right for families and individuals to choose for themselves which vaccines they will use? I support screening for a wide variety of diseases and disorders. Early diagnosis and early intervention are the best practice for most illnesses. I believe that every American

has the right to access these screenings, and I believe that every American has the right also to refuse these screenings voluntarily if they so choose. I also support a thorough and independent review of our nation’s vaccination policies. Are you satisfied that the federal vaccine approval process is free of conflicts of interests, transparent and rigorous? As President, I will conduct a thorough examination of all federal programs to ensure that they are effective and

operating in the best interests of the American people. And I will ensure that sound and unbiased science, not ideology, guides decisions made in my administration. Senator Clinton’s response to the A_CHAMP Presidential Candidate’s Questionnaire Will you fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act? Yes. I support fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Among my many efforts to fully fund IDEA, I co-sponsored the IDEA Full-Funding Act of2003 to finally fulfill the federal government's long-standing promise to provide for 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure for each and every child with a disability. In 2005, I offered an amendment to provide $4 billion in additional funding for IDEA; the amendment failed by a narrow margin. I have been an advocate for people with disabilities throughout my career in public service. After graduating from law school in 1973, I went to work for n Edelman at the Children's Defense Fund, walking door to door in New

Bedford, Mass., to figure out why there were discrepancies between the number of school-age children and the number of children enrolled in

school. What I discovered was heartbreaking - kids were kept out of school because of their physical disabilities. We submitted our findings to Congress and our study helped lay the groundwork for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which mandated that children with physical, emotional, and learning disabilities receive a free, appropriate public education. As a Senator, I helped write the IDEA Reauthorization Act in 2004 in order to ensure that we have targeted resources dedicated to teacher training. As President, I will continue my fight on behalf of children with disabilities. Do you believe that the Combating Autism Act provides enough money to find the cause, or causes, of autism and effective treatments? A key aspect of my plan to address autism, which I unveiled in November, is to fully fund the Combating Autism Act, which the Bush administration has failed to do. Through this legislation, we can work to identify the causes of autism; provide funds for surveillance; and increase autism education, early detection, and intervention. As President, I will double investments in the National Institutes of Health's efforts to identify the causes of autism, including possible environmental causes. I will expand the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring

Network and I will create Centers of Excellence in Autism Spectrum Disorder Epidemiology. And I will require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to disseminate information about signs of

autism, early screening, and training for professionals who deal with young children through federal programs that reach children and families - such as the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start, and the Children's Health Insurance Program - and to pediatricians. How much funding will you request to study potential environmental triggers of autism? I am very

concerned about the possible links between autism, the environment and other chronic diseases. Because there is so much we don't know, I not only support increasing funding for the

environmental research authorized by the Combating Autism Act, but I've also introduced legislation - the Coordinated Environmental Public Health Tracking Act - that would enable us to link disease surveillance to environmental information, and investigate disease clusters. This bill would provide $100 million to monitor the environmental causes of disease. I have also proposed to increase the NIH budget by 50 percent over five years and to double it over 10 years. As President, I will provide a total of about $700 million annually to address autism. That funding will go toward expanding research to identify causes of autism as well as creating a task force charged with investigating evidence-based treatments, interventions, and services; improving access to post-diagnosis care; providing

teacher training; providing planning and demonstration grants for adults; creating a National Technical Assistance Center; and guaranteeing quality, affordable health care. Do you believe there is an autism epidemic in the United States? Yes. Today, one in 150 children rare diagnosed with autism, for a total of about 25,000 eachyear. In sum, about 1.5 million Americans and their families are affected by

autism today. This national health crisis is costing the United States at least $35 billion each year. I have

long been a strong advocate for individuals and families impacted by autism. I have cosponsored the Combating Autism Act and introduced the Expanding the Promise for Individuals with Autism Act, in order to ensure that Americans living with autism could have access as quickly as possible to evidence-based treatments, interventions, and services. When I am President, I will dramatically boost research funding for autism and support services for families caring for an autistic loved one. What will you do to stop health insurers from discriminating against people with autism and

their families? As President, it will by my top domestic priority to provide quality, affordable health care to all Americans, including those with autism. My American Health Choices Plan will ensure that no one is denied coverage, refused renewal, unfairly priced out of the market, or forced to pay excessive insurance company premiums because of pre-existing medical conditions or disabilities. What will you do to assure that health insurers pay for promising new treatments and behavioral therapy? My American Health Choices Plan

will make quality health care affordable to every single American, including those with autism and their families. My plan will also create a BestPractices Institute that would work as a partnership between the existing Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the private sector to fund research on what treatments work best and to help disseminate this information to patients and doctors to increase quality and reduce costs. Do you think vaccines should be investigated as a possible cause of autism? I am committed to make investments to find the causes of autism, including possible environmental causes like vaccines. I have long been a supporter of increased research to determine the links between environmental factors and diseases, and I believe we should increase the NIH's ability to engage in this type of research. My administration will be committed to improving research to support fact-based solutions, and I will ensure that the NIH has the staff and funding to fully explore all possible causes of autism. What will you do to protect Americans,

especially young children and pregnant women, from exposure to mercury through vaccines? I will ensure that all vaccines are as safe as possible for our children by working to ensure that Thimerosal and mercury are removed from vaccines. I plan to fully invest in our research agencies so they can protect our children's health, and so they can find the causes and cures for conditions such as autism. What will you do to provide for the lifetime care that 250,000 to 500,000 current children with autism will need in the future? Individuals with autism need assistance in many areas including education, employment, transportation, housing, health, and recreation throughout their lives. As President, I will provide support and resources to help them lead full, rich, productive lives. Under my plan, I will provide funding for a planning grant for states and a multi-year service provision demonstration grant program to increase access to appropriate services to adults living with autism, including job training, housing, and transition services for young people leaving school. I will also create a dedicated funding stream to help schools train teachers who work with children with autism spectrum disorders. With the autism prevalence rate among children now at 1 in 150, the need to identify and

provide services for adults with autism will grow even more important in thecommg years. Would you support a large-scale federal study of the differences in health outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups? Yes. We don't know what, if any, kind of link there is between vaccines and autism - but we should find out. The lack of research on treatments, interventions, and services for children and adults with autism is a major impediment to the development of

delivery of quality care. We need evidence-based research on what works and what doesn't in order to provide the most effective services for people with autism. In addition to a large-scale

federal study, I will create a task force that would include significant representation from the autism community and would be charged with identifying gaps in evidence-based biomedical research, behavioral treatments, and services for children and adults with autism. The task force would present these findings to Congress and the Executive Branch and would make recommendations on how to make evidence-based treatments, interventions, and services available at the state and local levels. Once the task force has completed its work, I will provide funding to establish state-based demonstration grants to provide these evidence-based autism treatments, interventions, and services. Would you support a federal right for families and individuals to choose for themselves

which vaccines they will use? As President, I will support efforts to ensure that vaccines are safe and effective, including independent reviews and large-scale studies. All Americans should have access to accurate and comprehensive information about vaccinations? Are you satisfied that the federal vaccine approval process is free of conflicts of interests,

transparent and rigorous? I believe that we need independent, thorough, and comprehensive testing of all drugs, including vaccines, to make sure that they are safe and effective. I will ensure that the process of approving vaccines is based on science and research - not ideology or other motives. I will do everything I can to protect the health and well-being of American families.

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