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Carson's 1962 book "Silent Spring" revealed the harmful effects of
DDT and other pesticides and helped launched the environmental
movement. The longtime resident of Silver Spring, Md., died in 1964.
She would have turned 100 this Sunday. Sen. Benjamin Cardin's
resolution had intended to honor Carson for her "legacy of
scientific rigor coupled with poetic sensibility." But Susan Sullam,
a spokeswoman for the Maryland Democrat, said he delayed the bill
because Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., signaled he would use Senate rules
to halt it.
In a statement on his online site Tuesday, Coburn confirmed that
he is holding up the bill. He blamed Carson for using "junk science"
to turn the public against chemicals such as DDT that could prevent
the spread of insect-borne diseases such as malaria.
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Coburn, a doctor specializing in family medicine, obstetrics and
allergies, said in the statement that 1 million to 2 million people
die of malaria every year.
Since Carson's death from cancer, she has been celebrated as a
hero by the environmental movement and as the inspiration for
aggressive advocacy for nature.
Under Senate rules, any senator may hold up legislation that is
scheduled as a "unanimous consent" measure for quicker-than-usual
passage.
[Text copied
from file received from AP
Digital]
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