Legislative Highlights

Among Congressman Ackerman's significant legislative undertakings, was the passage of his Baby AIDS legislation. The measure requires mandatory HIV testing of newborns and disclosure of the results to the mother. It also forbids insurance companies from terminating the health insurance of anybody who undergoes an AIDS test, regardless of the results.

Ackerman championed the issue of newborn testing after discovering that 45 states including New York tested babies for HIV but did not disclose the results to the mothers, using the data for mere statistical purposes. As a result, thousands of mothers brought their infants home from the hospital, never aware that their child tested positive for HIV. This legislation, which became the subject of profound debate nationwide, garnered such support that it was the only bill that session of Congress to have a majority of all the House Democrats and Republicans as cosponsors. In addition, Ackerman stopped the anonymous testing from being reinstated in years that followed.

The Congressman also sponsored the bill that created the “Heroes” postage stamp (with the three firefighters raising the American flag at ground zero), the revenue from which went towards the families of rescue workers killed or permanently disabled while responding to the September 11 attacks.

Ackerman also scored a victory in his efforts to ban “downed” animals (sick, injured or diseased livestock) from being sold as meat in supermarkets, restaurants and butcher stores. For a decade, Ackerman warned that use of such livestock was not only inhumane treatment of animals but also risked causing a Mad Cow disaster in the U.S. His legislation fell on deaf ears until December 2003, when his warning became prophetic and the Bush Administration—among those who had opposed the bill—finally imposed his ban through regulation.

Also law of the land is Congressman Ackerman’s measure requiring banks and financial companies to notify consumers when negative information is placed on their credit reports. The Congressman also authored the law that in the wake of the Enron, WorldCom and other corporate scandals, prohibits accounting firms from consulting for the companies they audit.

Other legislative highlights include President Bush invoking the Congressman’s measure to impose sanctions against the Palestinian Authority for not complying with peace agreements it signed with the U.S. and Israel. Ackerman was also successful in getting Medicare to cover testing for prostate cancer. 

Enacted as well was his measure that prevents war criminals and human rights abusers who have perpetrated genocide, torture, terrorism or other atrocities, from entering the U.S. and deports those who have slipped in. In addition, Congressman Ackerman sponsored the first federal legislation to ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving.

Further, the Congressman shepherded the renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (TRIA) through the House. TRIA provides a federal insurance backstop critical to the rebuilding of Ground Zero in New York and other potential targets of terrorist attacks.

He also authored the law – as part of the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights – that prohibits credit card companies from charging customers a fee to pay their bills online or over the phone.