MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin -- U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday said genetic tests, which hold the promise of treatment for some serious diseases, must not be used to discriminate against people predisposed to such illnesses.

"Just as our nation addressed discrimination based on race, we must now prevent discrimination based on genetic information," he said here in a speech outlining healthcare proposals totalling 300 billion dollars over 10 years.

A senior aide to the president on health care policy, Mark McClellan, said that the White House hoped to work with the U.S. Congress to pass legislation punishing such discrimination "sooner rather than later."

At issue is the possibility that, for example, employers could choose not to hire or promote someone based on genetic tests that show that person to be predisposed to serious ailments.

"Science is closing in on the sources of sickness and disease," AFP quoted the president as saying.

"By 2010, scientists predict genetic tests will allow individuals to know if they are predisposed to certain conditions. Within 20 years, targeted drug and gene therapies will be available for diabetes, hypertension and other diseases," said Bush.

"As we pursue the promise of these projects, we must also be alert to their dangers. Genetic information should be an opportunity to prevent and treat disease, not an excuse for discrimination," he said.