Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act Of 2007

Floor Speech

STEM CELL RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - April 10, 2007)

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield for just a moment so I can respond to the excellent points that he made, first, I commend Senator Harkin, Senator Specter, and others who have worked on this bill for including those clear safeguards. This isn't a case where anyone is going to be selling the left over, unused embryos from in vitro fertilization. In fact, the bill appropriately prohibits any financial inducement, any sort of money changing hands. So that is an important safeguard.

But the Senator put his finger on what I think is the primary ethical choice. The left over cell clusters are going to be discarded. They are going to be discarded. They are discarded every day, every month, every year as medical waste. How much more enhancing it would be to use them for research that could save lives, that could prolong lives, that could improve the quality of life for someone suffering from juvenile diabetes or Parkinson's or Alzheimer's or other devastating diseases.

I believe this bill is a very ethical bill that will help move us forward in the search for better treatments, for better diagnoses, and someday a cure. I cannot believe that we would cut off such promising research when we know it can be done in an ethical way.

I applaud the Senator for his leadership in this area. I hope we will proceed to a very strong bipartisan vote in support of legislation that means so much to the American family.

We do a lot of debate on this Senate floor, but it is rare that we have a debate on an issue that touches so many Americans personally. All of us have family members who have suffered from these devastating diseases, and this offers--does not promise--but offers the potential for research that could really make a difference.

I thank the Senator. I am very happy to join him in this effort.

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