Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) notched his latest legislative win when his bipartisan Living Donor Protection Act sailed through the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on a 26-1 vote.
The entire HELP Committee, with the exception of Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.), voted for Cotton’s bill that he co-led with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.) that would protect living organ donors from being discriminated against by insurance companies or from losing their job.
This bill has long been a priority for Cotton, and the full committee vote is the biggest progress that he’s made on it after introducing similar bills across multiple Congresses.
“I’m grateful for the overwhelming bipartisan support for my Living Donor Protection Act in today’s HELP Committee markup,” Cotton told the Washington Reporter. “Organ donation is an extraordinary sacrifice that gives someone else a new life and donors should be protected from adverse consequences.”
This progress showcases how Cotton’s increased seniority has helped him advance his long-held legislative priorities more easily. “My bill encourages donation by prohibiting insurance companies from denying or limiting coverage solely based on their status as a living organ donor,” he added to the Reporter. “I’m thankful for Senator Gillibrand, HELP Committee Chairman Cassidy, and the entire Senate HELP Committee for passing this legislation by a large margin. I look forward to supporting this important legislation on the Senate floor.”
