OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005

Date: July 19, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Stem Cell Research


STEM CELL RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2005--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 109-127) -- (House of Representatives - July 19, 2006)

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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, no single action this Congress could take would have a more profound impact on life than increasing Federal funds for biomedical research, biomedical scientists to conduct that research with human embryonic stem cells. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, brain and spinal cord disorders, diabetes, cancer, at least 58 diseases could potentially be cured through stem cell research, diseases that touch every family in America and in the world.

I stand here as someone who understands the promise of biomedical research all too well. Having been diagnosed with ovarian cancer by chance on a doctor's visit two decades ago, I know firsthand how medical research can save lives. It saved mine. It can quite literally mean the difference between life and death, between hope and despair.

Are there moral issues to consider with respect to stem cell research? Absolutely. But let us not confuse them with the ethical safeguards that this legislation does put in place, allowing research only on embryos that were originally created for fertility treatment purposes and that are in excess of clinical need. By permitting peer-reviewed Federal funds to be used with public oversight, we can have no doubt that this research will be performed with the utmost dignity and ethical responsibility.

The moral issue here is whether the United States Congress is going to stand in the way of science and preclude scientists from doing lifesaving research. We do not live in the Dark Ages. With this vote this Congress has an opportunity to tell the world that we are a country that believes science has the power to advance life. I believe we are. By allowing the President to stop this research from going forward, we risk something very precious.

Mr. Speaker, the world has always looked to America as a beacon of hope precisely because of our capacity to combine the best ideas in the world with abundant resources. Let us continue that tradition. Let us lead the way. Support the veto override.

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