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This afternoon, the House passed legislation to protect personal genetic information from discriminatory use by health insurers and employers. For decades, scientists have been identifying chromosomes within genes, allowing the ability to test specific genes that may trigger disease later in life. However, many Americans report that they forgo this testing because they fear losing their jobs or their health insurance.

In the 1970s, many African-Americans were denied jobs, educational opportunities, and insurance based on their carrier status for sickle cell anemia, despite the fact that a carrier lacked the two copies of a mutation necessary to get sick. In 1998, Lawrence Livermore Laboratories in Berkeley was found to have been performing tests for syphilis, pregnancy, and sickle cell on employees without their knowledge or consent for years.

Speaker Pelosi released the following statement on her briefing yesterday with General David Petraeus:

General Petraeus and I had a very informative half-hour discussion yesterday, which included the assessment of the situation in Iraq that he will share with other House Members today. I appreciated his report and his responses to my questions on security and political issues in Iraq. We share a conviction that the war in Iraq will not be resolved militarily, and I look forward to future reports from him on the effects of President Bush's escalation plan.

Having postponed debate on the subpoena for former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card regarding the leaking of covert CIA Agent Valerie Plame's identity pending negotiations with White House Counsel Fred Fielding, and having cancelled the subpoena vote for documents regarding White House dealings with MZM in light of new White House responsiveness, the Oversight Committee today approved three subpoenas. Two were for emails and documents from the RNC regarding White House records and improper political use of federal agencies and one was for testimony from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the claim that Iraq was seeking uranium from Niger.

From the Judiciary Committee:

House Judiciary Committee Approves Immunity Order, Authorizes Subpoena for former DoJ Official Monica Goodling

(Washington, DC)- Today, the House Judiciary Committee authorized a subpoena and voted in support of seeking a judicial order of immunity to compel testimony for former Justice Department-White House Liaison Monica Goodling. The immunity order required a two-thirds vote of the Committee - 32 Members voted in support, six voted against and two were not present.

Chairman John Conyers gave opening remarks at the meeting:

As noted below, the Oversight Committee is now holding a business meeting scheduled to discuss subpoenas regarding Secretary Rice and Iraq intelligence, former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card and the leak of Valerie Plame Wilson's covert identity, RNC emails and documents, and contacts between the White House and MZM. Chairman Henry Waxman notes in his opening remarks that last-minute negotiations have convinced him to postpone discussion of subpoenas regarding MZM and former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card. He also gives a brief history of the use of subpoena power in the Oversight and Government Reform Committee:

Chairman Henry Waxman:

At 10:00 the Oversight Committee will hold a business meeting at which four subpoenas for testimony and documents will be considered. The subpoenas under consideration are for:

The testimony of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the fabricated claim that Iraq sought uranium from Niger and other issues;

The testimony of former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card regarding the leak of Valerie Plame Wilson's covert identity and White House security procedures;

RNC documents related to possible violations of the Presidential Records Act and the Hatch Act by White House officials;

"This important legislation sets a new direction for Iraq. It acknowledges that America went to war without mobilizing the nation, that our strategy in Iraq has been tragically flawed since the invasion in March 2003, that our Army and Marine Corps are at the breaking point with little to show for it, and that our military alone will never establish representative government in Iraq. The administration got it terribly wrong and I applaud our Congress for stepping up to their constitutional responsibilities."

-Maj. Gen. John Batiste, USA, Ret.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has just concluded its hearing entitled "Misleading Information from the Battlefield." The hearing focused on the death of Army Ranger Specialist Patrick Tillman in Afghanistan and the capture and rescue of Army Private Jessica Lynch in Iraq. Here Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) questions Specialist Bryan O'Neal, U.S. Army, an eyewitness to Tillman's death, on apparent tampering with his original reports on the incident:

Rep. Braley: