President Refuses to Meet on Embryonic Stem Cells

President Refuses to Meet on Embryonic Stem Cells

One Day After Karl Rove Announces Veto Threat, President Declines Meeting With Bill's Sponsors

- Today, President Bush formally rejected Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Mike Castle's (R-DE) request for a meeting to discuss the Castle-DeGette Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 810). This rejection comes one day after President Bush's top political adviser Karl Rove announced in Denver that President Bush will veto the bill if it passes out of the U.S. Senate.

"It's regrettable that President Bush will not even grant us the common courtesy of a meeting to discuss stem cell research. However, it's down right insulting that, at the same time, he sent his head political advisor to my hometown with a veto threat," said Rep. DeGette. "I would still welcome the chance to sit down with the President and talk to him about the mistake of making his first veto a bill which would help 100 million Americans and their families. This issue is too important to become part of Karl Rove's cynical electoral strategy."

Representatives DeGette and Castle sent their request to President Bush on June 7, 2006 to discuss with the President expanding embryonic stem cell research.

"It would be wrong for the President to veto a piece of legislation that has the greatest potential to help millions of Americans suffering from our most horrible diseases, such as Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's, and HIV/AIDS and is supported the majority of the American people and scientists throughout the world. Perhaps he has his facts wrong. This legislation does not expand federal funding for stem cell research; rather it establishes an ethical construct and enables scientists to research the most robust and highest quality lines. I hope he will reconsider this veto threat," said Rep. Castle.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/co01_degette/bushstemcell.html