May 21, 2008

THE PRESIDENT: I want to thank the members of Congress who've joined us as I sign the Genetic¹ Information Nondiscrimination Act, a piece of legislation which prohibits health insurers and employers from discriminating² on the basis of genetic information. In other words, it protects our citizens from having genetic information misused³, and this bill does so without undermining the basic premise⁴ of the insurance industry.

I also want to pay homage⁵ today to -- and not only to members of the Congress who are behind me, but also to Senator Ted⁶ Kennedy, who has worked for over a decade to get this piece of legislation to a President's desk. All of us are so pleased that Senator Kennedy has gone home, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

Now it's my honor to sign the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.

(The Act was signed.)

Thank you. (Applause.)

END 2:06 P.M. EDT