Press Release: January 2007 Archives

Governor Doyle's letter to the Wisconsin Congressional delegation before the House vote on H.R. 3

http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=10218

The morning after delivering his State of the State address, Governor Jim Doyle addressed Democratic members of the U.S. Senate on the importance of embryonic stem cell research. The U.S. Senate is expected to take up a bill identical to H.R. 3, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, which would eliminate President George W. Bush's restrictions. Governor Doyle urged Democrats to work with their Republican colleagues to attract enough votes to override an expected veto from President Bush.

"I speak not as the Governor of any old state, but as the Governor of the state where stem cell research began and where the best and brightest researchers continue to lead the world," Governor Doyle said. "The November election was a decisive victory for stem cell champions and a clear signal that government dictate where science should take us. The President has proven to be out of touch on this issue and Democrats have a responsibility to lead and a mandate for action."

In 2005, Governor Doyle vetoed a bill that would have outlawed the most promising techniques used in stem cell research. Instead, Governor Doyle has vastly expanded the state's investment in this critical field to capture 10 percent of the stem cell market by 2015.

<a href="http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=87848">Gov. Doyle: Addresses U.S. Senate on Eliminating the Bush Restrictions on Embryonic Stem Cell Research</a> (wispolitics.com)

Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday he planned to recommend that lawmakers spend state money for stem cell research, but only the kind that doesn't require the destruction of embryos.

Crist said he would recommend spending $20 million for a grant program to pay for studies that use cells culled from adults, umbilical cord blood and amniotic fluid donated by pregnant women.

But he won't recommend paying for the most controversial - and many say most promising - type of research on embryonic stem cells. Crist said he opposed that because too many people - including state lawmakers - oppose destroying embryos, which is required to do the studies.

Crist didn't say exactly whether he approves of embryonic stem cell research himself.

"I know it gives angst for some. I think we can do it in a way that doesn't cause that kind of angst," Crist said at The Associated Press Florida Legislative Planning Session, a meeting of newspaper editors.

"I'm pragmatic ... I want to be respectful of concerns that they might have," said Crist, a Republican. "I also want to make progress."

Two competing bills will be considered by lawmakers this year. One to be filed by Rep. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, will mirror Crist's proposal.

Another, filed by Rep. Franklin Sands, D-Weston, calls for spending $20 million on research that would include embryonic stem cell studies.

Researchers say the embryonic stem cells are promising in medical research because they have the ability to become any type of cell in the body. Crist on Wednesday noted new studies that show promise in amniotic stem cells.

<a href="http://www.physorg.com/news89461829.html">Fla. Gov OKs Some Stem Cell Research </a> (physorg.com)

Three Harvard professors wrote to Congress earlier this month expressing their disappointment over a recent White House report on stem cell science that, they claim, has misrepresented their studies on alternatives for research using human embryonic cells.

Published by the United States Domestic Policy Council (DPC) on Jan. 9, the report on “Advancing Stem Cell Science Without Destroying Human Life” asserted that the results of the scientists’ research emphasized the possibility of “creating cell lines for the study and treatment of disease without the many ethical dilemmas associated with the creation and destruction of embryos.”

In a letter addressed to two Congressmen, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology Kevin C. Eggan, Medical School Assistant Professor Chad A. Cowan, and Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences Douglas A. Melton wrote that they were “surprised” to see their work “used to support arguments that research involving human embryonic stem cells is unnecessary.”

“On the contrary, we assert that human embryonic stem cells hold great promise to find new treatments and cures for diseases,” the researchers wrote.

The DPC publication cited research contained in an August 2005 Science article in which the Harvard researchers discovered a method for “reprogramming” adult cells into embryonic stem cells by fusing an adult and embryonic cell together to form a new hybrid cell with the characteristics of an embryonic stem cell.

<a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516722">Profs Upset With Stem Cell Report</a> (GERALD C. TIU, thecrimson.com)

"House Republicans, who may face pressure from Gov. Charlie Crist this spring to spend money on embryonic stem-cell research, have countered with their own stem-cell plan." "Stem Cell Battle Brews".

"Setting up a legislative debate over whether stem cell research can be realized without the destruction of human embryos, a state lawmaker said Monday she will file a bill to call for increased spending on other, less controversial types of stem cell research."

<a href="http://flapolitics.blogspot.com/2007/01/stem-cell-debate-is-joined.html">The Stem Cell Debate is Joined </a> (flapolitics.blogspot.com)

The House may have passed a bill calling for an end to the federal ban on new embryonic stem cell research lines, but we're still a long way from dollars coming down from the feds (assuming the bill survives a veto). Thus more and more states are continuing to take action, proposing millions to get the research moving, creating what is essentially de facto foundations for research that should be the domain of the National Institutes of Health. Currently, New Jersey, California, Maryland and Connecticut, Maryland and Illinois all mandate state spending to support ESCR (though to date only two, New Jersey and Illinois, have state-funded research in the works). We can now add three more states tp the list of those that could proactively fund this voter-supported research:

<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2007/01/3376_on_the_stem_cel.html">Florida, New Mexico, Iowa Hop on the Stem Cell Research Funding Bandwagon</a> (motherjones.com)

Today, at the University of Iowa’s Medical Education and Research Facility, Governor Chet Culver discussed his vision for the future of embryonic stem cell research in Iowa.

At the University of Iowa, Governor Culver called on the legislature to lift the state ban on embryonic stem cell research and give hope to Iowans suffering from diseases like cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

“Today, I call on the Iowa State Legislature to repeal the ban on stem cell research in this state so that we can restore hope for thousands of Iowans,” said Governor Culver.

<a href="http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-18265.html">Iowa Governor Calls for Bill to Lift on Embryonic Stem Cell Research</a> (allamericanpatriots.com)

Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette said she would find a way to get the embryonic stem-cell research bill past another veto by President George W. Bush -- even if Democrats have to attach it to other legislation.

The Democrat co-sponsored the measure, which has passed the House. But DeGette said she's short of the 290 votes needed to override a veto.

Bush vetoed identical legislation sponsored by DeGette last year.

<a href="http://www.thedenverchannel.com/politics/10859693/detail.html">Degette Vows To Find A Way To Get Stem Cell Bill Past Bush Veto</a> (thedenverchannel.com)

Sixty-six percent of Americans agree with the majority of the House of Representatives that stem cell research has potential according to Rasmussen Reports. With the recent passage by the House of Representatives of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 or H.R. 3 on Jan. 11, the newly Democratic House hopes to overrule President Bush’s stance on withholding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) introduced this bill on Jan 5, which passed with a vote of 253 to 174. Despite the House’s bill and upcoming vote in the Senate, the White House announced recently that President Bush will veto this bill.

The House will probably not be able to overturn his veto as 290 votes are required for this action.

Regardless, DeGette remains confident about the future of embryonic stem cell research. In a recent interview DeGette told reporter David Kirkpatrick of The New York Times, “By January 2009, we will have a president who favors embryonic stem cell research.”

AP Biology and Integrated Science teacher Bettina Hughes regards stem cell research as necessary.

<a href="http://drakejr.com/sections/news/research-expected-to-be-short-lived/">Research expected to be short-lived</a> (Natasha Pietila, drakejr.com)

A new bill introduced Thursday in the Delaware Senate would surpass current legislation by regulating all types of stem cell research.

Sen. Robert Venables, D-Laurel, said scientists and the biotechnology research industry want clear parameters for research. And he said he introduced the bill now so lawmakers could study it during the six-week recess.

<a href="http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5995306&nav=MXEF">
Venables Introduces Stem Cell Bill</a> (wboc.com)

Norway's government proposed lifting a national ban on using human embryonic stem cells for research, saying Friday that the change might help find cures to a broad range of diseases.

Embryonic stem cells have the ability to become any tissue in the body, leading scientists to see them as a possible source of medical breakthroughs. But the research typically involves the destruction of frozen embryos created for in vitro fertilization, a step that stirs passions over the beginning of life.

Norwegian biotechnology law from 2003 bars use of fertilized eggs or stem cells taken from them in research, and requires eggs left over after assisted pregnancies to be destroyed.

The proposed law would allow research on such eggs under strict legal and ethnical limits, including consent from the parents and approval from a national ethics panel, the government proposal said.

"The government believes it is important to use the opportunities offered by science to gain knowledge that can be used to treat serious illnesses in the future," Minister of Health and Care Services Silvia Brustad said in presenting the legislation.

<a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/4501799.html">Norway may ease stem cell research ban</a> (chron.com)

New Mexico's three Catholic bishops met with Gov. Bill Richardson on Thursday to urge him to reconsider proposed state funding for embryonic stem cell research.

The governor's budget in brief, submitted on the opening day of the session, includes $3.8 million in capital outlay funding and $2.2 million in recurring funds to build a new facility for stem cell research.

Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of the Santa Fe diocese said Richardson listened to their appeal, but did not make any commitment.

<a href="http://www.alamogordonews.com/news/ci_5090202">Bishops oppose stem cell stance</a> (Walter Rubel, alamogordonews.com)

Gov. Chet Culver plans today to propose spending $12.5 million to establish a stem cell research center at the University of Iowa, an issue he campaigned on last fall.

Culver, a Democrat, is scheduled to make the announcement during a visit to the university in Iowa City, where he also will ask the Democratic-controlled Legislature to pass a bill lifting the ban on a type of embryonic stem-cell research.

Culver will propose launching the Center for Regenerative Medicine with a supplemental appropriation to the current budget of $2.5 million and another $10 million for the fiscal year starting in July, aides confirmed Wednesday.

The project is the first specific budget proposal that Culver is announcing publicly. The governor is preparing to lay out his spending plans to the Iowa Legislature next week.

Culver's budget address is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, and Iowa Public Television plans to broadcast it live.

"We're very, very pleased with the governor's support and championing of regenerative medicine for the state of Iowa," said Meredith Hay, vice president for research at the U of I. "And fundamentally changing the Iowa law will ensure that Iowa patients have equal access to cures that are allowed in our country and available to many other Americans in other states."

"I can tell you every dollar we get allows us to recruit new researchers to the university to advance biomedical cures for the state of Iowa," Hay added.

<a href="http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070125/NEWS10/701250403/-1/ENT05">Governor to offer aid for stem cell center </a> (THOMAS BEAUMONT, desmoinesregister.com)

U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany voted no to stem-cell research, and is expected to do the same in the upcoming vote. I urge everyone to call or write Boustany, and tell him to stop being a Bush puppet and to vote yes on this important topic. Call Boustany today at 202-225-2031 and urge him to support this lifesaving research and vote to override the president's impending veto.

<a href="http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070124/OPINION03/701240323/1014">Challenge Boustany on his stem-cell vote</a> (theadvertiser.com)

The bishops of North Carolina are calling on the state’s 400,000 Catholics to learn more about embryonic stem-cell research and to join them in defeating pending legislation that will likely recommend state funding.
 
 

Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte and Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh have sent joint letters to all pastors in North Carolina, urging them to acquaint their parishioners with the Catholic Church’s teachings on stem-cell research.

The letters were sent with a three-part document about the Church’s teaching on stem-cell research, written in an easily understood manner by a committee of Catholic doctors, scientists, and theologians. The document is to be included in parish bulletins this month.

The inserts are titled “Introduction to the Ethics and Science of Stem Cell Research,” “Myths and Facts of Stem Cell Research” and “A Call to Action.”

In their letter, the bishops said Catholics must be educated in order to voice their opposition to the research and to any proposed public funding.

<a href="http://www.theindiancatholic.com/newsread.asp?nid=5772">Bishops call on Catholics to be educated, speak out on stem-cell research</a> (theindiancatholic.com)

It is an exciting, albeit frustrating, time to be a supporter of embryonic stem cell research.

Last summer, the U.S. Congress passed a law that would expand scientists' ability to conduct embryonic stem cell research, believed to be the key to cures and new treatments for diabetes, Parkinson's disease, some forms of cancer and other chronic illnesses.

The law was supported on both sides of the political aisle, with key Democrats and Republicans challenging the president's position on the issue.

Millions of Americans suffering from these conditions reacted excitedly to this news, as it was the biggest breakthrough in stem cell research policy since President Bush imposed harsh restrictions on it in 2001. However, the excitement didn't last long, as Bush used his first-ever veto to nullify the law, and there was insufficient support in Congress to overturn the veto, despite poll after poll showing the majority of Americans support it.

This past November, the American people used their votes to express support for stem cell research, which â€" along with the war in Iraq â€" was one of the major issues of the election. In doing so, they elected a new Congress with a Democratic majority, while maintaining the Republicans who supported this research.

During their much-ballyhooed "first 100 hours," the Democrat-controlled House passed HR 3, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, by a vote of 253-174, an increase of 15 supporters from the previous summer's bill. Unfortunately, this still is short of the two-thirds majority necessary to overturn a veto, but again it illustrates the strong support for stem cell research.

The Senate will be taking up the bill (S 5) in the coming weeks and is expected to pass it, though President Bush has stated he will use his second-ever veto to again block this important research from occurring. Why does the president continue to deny the will of the people in regard to this important matter?

The president's views about stem cell research are rooted in ignorance and illogical interpretations of archaic beliefs. The president and his spin doctors have painted stem cell research as "anti-life" as opposed to their "pro-life" beliefs.

In a disgustingly ill-informed stunt after his first veto, the president paraded the so-called "snowflake babies" on stage, suggesting these babies born of frozen embryos would not have lived if we allowed embryonic stem cell research.

<a href="http://www.statenews.com/op_article.phtml?pk=39384">Medical advances in embryonic stem cell research needed today</a> (Ryan Dinkgrave, statenews.com)

Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman introduced legislation Tuesday which he said will expand funding for stem cell research while ensuring that no human embryos are harmed, in an effort to carve out a middle ground on one of the most divisive political issues.

The bill would fund research on stem cells from embryos which have died naturally, as well as research on a process called altered nuclear transfer, which involves reprogramming an egg to produce cells which cannot become a human organism.

The anti-abortion Republican's bill would provide $5 billion in funding over 10 years for such research, and for other techniques developed in the future that do not harm human embryos.

Coleman opposes legislation, which recently passed the House, to expand taxpayer financed research into embryonic stem cells, citing concerns that it would lead to the destruction of human embryos.

<a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1772673/posts">Coleman wants to expand stem cell research</a> (freerepublic.com)

STATEMENT BY STATE SENATOR LIZ KRUEGER ON REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE MAUREEN O'CONNELL'S SHIFTING STEM CELL RESEARCH STANCE

It was reported today that Maureen O'Connell, Republican Leader Joe Bruno's candidate to fill the Senate vacancy left by former Senator Michael Balboni, said efforts to fund a $1 billion stem-cell research plan do not "go far enough." Her statement implies that she fully supports the medical promise of stem-cell research.
Maureen O'Connell speaks a good game come campaign time, but she does not have the record to back up her rhetoric.

In 2004, then-Assemblywoman O'Connell sponsored legislation (A10256) that would have banned medical procedures necessary to conduct stem-cell research. In 2003 and again in 2004, she voted against the "Reproductive Cloning Prohibition and Research Protection Act." While serving on the Assembly Health Committee, O'Connell voted against A6300, which would have established a state-funded institute for stem cell research in New York State.

As the lead sponsor of legislation that would advance stem-cell research in our State (S433B), I find it disheartening that Maureen O'Connell is actively misleading the voters of the 7th Senate District. Despite being a registered nurse, O'Connell voted against legislation that is medically accurate, ethically sound, and economically wise.

Unlike Maureen O'Connell, Democrat Craig Johnson has shown an unfettered dedication to this potentially life-saving research. He has a record that shows him to be an independent thinker-I seriously question O'Connell's ability to be independent of Joe Bruno, especially considering that he is bankrolling her candidacy.

<a href="http://www.amhersttimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4012&Itemid=27">KRUEGER IS LEAD SPONSOR OF STEM CELL RESEARCH LEGISLATION IN THE STATE SENATE </a> (amhersttimes.com)

Many adults in the United States express hope in a specific type of scientific investigation, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 66 per cent of respondents think it is very or somewhat likely that embryonic stem cell research has the potential to lead to cures to previously incurable diseases.

Human stem cells come from embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization, which are habitually destroyed. These cells can develop into various tissues in the human body. Some scientists believe the research could be useful in the creation of new organs and in the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

In August 2001, U.S. president George W. Bush cited ethical questions in his rationale to ban federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. In a nationally televised statement, Bush said, "While we’re all hopeful about the potential of this research, no one can be certain that the science will live up to the hope it has generated."

<a href="http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/14461">U.S. Praises Potential of Stem Cell Research</a> (angus-reid.com)

Just as U.S. House members prepared to debate and approve broad federal funding of stem-cell research, the White House issued a position paper reiterating -- and updating -- its opposition. But no new compilation of data changes two critical facts in the matter: President Bush has curbed the most promising avenue of this critically important research, and he has done so by drawing a moral line in the sand that most Americans -- nearly three-quarters of them -- reject.

Not that the Domestic Policy Council's paper doesn't try. It assumes that Bush's 2001 funding limitations and subsequent veto of a bill to reverse them somehow created a "balanced" policy -- i.e., that it avoids supporting the destruction of embryos for research, which it deems morally wrong, and yet allows funding for research on a few lines of cells that existed in 2001, plus research on other types of stem cells. Bush's policy, however, is anything but balanced; it is both radical and disingenuous.

<a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/jacitpat/index.ssf?/base/news-1/116948375212800.xml&coll=3">The stem-cell debate </a> (mlive.com)

Should we allow federal funding for new embryonic stem cell research?

If you said yes, you are in the overwhelming majority.

As we fight to pass the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, (H.R. 3, S.5, formerly H.R. 810) to overturn the Bush White House restrictions on new stem cell research funding, it is important to realize the extraordinary narrowness of the opposition.

Powerful, yes: conservative ideologues unquestionably dominate the White House’s stem cell position.  

But aside from the ultra-conservatives, how many groups support the current restrictions? You might be surprised.

Read on, and by the way, be sure to read the columns in www.stemcellbattles.com this weekâ€"especially on Wednesday and Friday

<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/1/22/82831/0465">Groups for and against Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act </a> (dailykos.com)

Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Biology Department and Bioethics program will jointly sponsor a talk by the Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk titled “Stem Cells and Cloning: Understanding the Scientific Issues and the Moral Objections.”

The event is set for 8 p.m. Thursday in Pugliese Auditorium in the Saints Cosmos and Damian Science Hall on the Franciscan University campus.

Two recent news stories have again put stem cell research in the spotlight.

There was the Jan. 8 announcement that researchers at Wake Forest and Harvard universities found a promising source of stem cells in the placenta and umbilical cord. Researchers say these stem cells can be taken after birth without harm to the mother or baby.

There was also the vote by Congress to approve federal funding for embryonic stem cell research as part of the Democrats’ “First 100 Hours” agenda.

That research would result in destruction of human embryos, bioethicists say.

If the bill passes the Senate, President Bush has promised to veto the measure. Bush vetoed identical legislation last year and the White House on Thursday promised he would veto it again.

Pacholczyk, a nationally-recognized speaker on bioethics and director of education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center, has a doctorate degree in neurosciences from Yale University.

<a href="http://www.theintelligencer.net/community/articles.asp?articleID=15233">University to Host Talk On Stem Cells, Cloning</a> (theintelligencer.net)

They who continue to enable Bush’s ill-conceived and outdated 2001 ESCR restrictions, ought to realize the 21st century value voter is increasingly concerned and educated about issues like poverty, healthcare, stem cell research and integrity.
 
Integrity includes the courage to embrace the reality that using already discarded embryonic stem cells, left over from in-vitro fertilization procedures, for potentially life-saving research is good for humanity. Republican Main Street has long held this view. It’s about time our Florida representatives represent their constituents rather than their usual Washington partisanship.
 
More than six-hundred patient groups around the US call on Florida to deliver at least 5 of the 37 additional YES votes needed to help override an expected second veto by Bush. That would at least bring the FL delegation in line with the 70% of floridians who support ESCR!

<a href="http://stemblog.net/?p=71">Florida Delegation Lags Behind on Stem Cell Logic</a> (stemblog.net)

Hollywood star MICHAEL J. FOX is taking his embryonic stem-cell research campaign straight to the top - he'll be attending US President GEORGE W. BUSH's State of the Union address next week.

The actor, a staunch supporter of the controversial research since being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 15 years ago, will be a guest of Rhode Island Republican JIM LANGEVIN, who shares his views. Langevin has been confined to a wheelchair since a shooting accident in his teens.

In a statement, the BACK TO THE FUTURE star said, "Congressman Langevin is a tireless champion for the advancement of medical research, and I am honoured to join him next week at the State of the Union."

<a href="http://www.andpop.com/article/8075">Michael J. Fox To Attend State Of The Union Address</a> (andpop.com)

SCNT and stem cell research are not about abortion and have nothing to do with abortion. There is no pregnancy involved, so there can be no abortion. If SCNT was banned in Australia it would not result in one single less abortion.

SCNT and stem cell research is also not about euthanasia. Nor is it about about evolution. It is about conducting a credible and serious search research for cures and treatments for serious ailments - something which in most people’s language would be seen as a moral AND a scientific argument.

<a href="http://www.andrewbartlett.com/blog/?p=1281#comment-40098">Comment on UK stem cell controversy over human-animal hybrids</a> (andrewbartlett.com)

According to stem cell research expert Eve Herold, the general public have
become the victims of misinformation about this essential science. Over the
last few years, the stem cell debate has been intensely political,
religious, global, and confusing to many people. Now, Herold explains to a
general audience what this science is all about, who is for and against it,
and why it must go forward. In this startling book, Herold pulls together
fascinating stories to highlight every aspect of this multifaceted field.
She exposes the politics of stem cell research and demonstrates how these
forces will intimately affect everyone. Packed with real-life stories of
the people caught up in this groundbreaking struggle, Stem Cell Wars is a
call to arms that will provoke debate and discussion for years to come.

<a href="http://evomech5.blogspot.com/2007/01/stem-cell-wars-inside-stories-from.html">Stem Cell Wars: Inside Stories from the Frontline (Review /Video)</a> (Eve Herold, evomech5.blogspot.com)

The National Institutes of Health official overseeing the implementation of President Bush's embryonic stem cell policy has suggested that the controversial program is delaying cures, an unusually blunt assessment for an executive branch official.
<br><br>
In prepared Senate testimony, Story Landis, director of NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and interim chair of the agency's stem cell task force, closely mirrored previous testimony from other NIH officials, who have for years been careful not to criticize the Bush policy directly, even though that policy has infuriated many scientists for the limits it places on embryo cell work.
<br><br>
But under questioning Friday, Landis spoke more plainly.
<br><br>
When Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, asked her how the policy was affecting medical research, she said: "We are missing out on possible breakthroughs." The ability to work on newly derived stem cell colonies -- precluded from federal funding under the Bush plan -- "would be incredibly important," she added.
<br><br>
Landis also declared that "science works best when scientists can pursue all avenues of research. If the cure for Parkinson's disease or juvenile diabetes lay behind one of four doors, wouldn't you want the option to open all four doors at once instead of one door?"

<a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/01/21/nih_official_says_stem_cell_policy_is_delaying_cures/">NIH official says stem cell policy is delaying cures</a> (Rick Weiss, boston.com)

Supporters of embryonic stem cell research said they want a vote in the U.S. Senate as soon as possible.

A hearing Friday brought together many Senate supporters, including Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin.

The group is pushing for federal funding of new stem cell lines.

Harkin is pushing the benefits of stem cell research at a joint hearing Friday in Washington.

Harkin co-sponsored the hearing to bring together Senate supporters and top scientific minds.

"We assert that human embryonic stem cells hold great promise to find new treatments and cures for diseases," Harkin said.

Harkin said why wait, when stem cells may be used to cure some of the worst illnesses and diseases.

"Most importantly, I hope he'll listen to millions of Americans who suffer from juvenile diabetes, spinal cord injuries and ALS, Parkinson's and cancer who view this as their best hope for treatment or a cure," he said.

<a href="http://www.kcci.com/news/10795425/detail.html">Hearing Puts Stem Cell Research At Forefront</a> (kcci.com)

With each new round of argument, the ethical questions at the heart of the embryonic stem-cell debate get buried under more layers of hype and confusion.

Critics of the Bush administration's stand on stem cells argue that there is currently a "ban" on financing, that embryonic stem cells will cure tens of millions and that current federal policy sets American scientists behind their foreign counterparts.

But the administration has spent more than $100 million on embryonic stem-cell research in the past six years. The research, while promising, remains purely speculative, and American scientists hold a huge and steady lead that no other country comes close to challenging.

Defenders of the president's policy, meanwhile, too often get caught up in comparing adult and embryonic stem cell research. This leads them to deny the utility of embryonic cells, which scientists clearly do find useful, rather than articulating the moral justification for a policy that avoids the destruction of developing life.

<a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/19/opinion/edlevin.php">A middle ground for stem cells</a> (Yuval Levin, iht.com)

A senior U.S. National Institutes of Health official said on Friday President George W. Bush's limits on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research have blocked potential medical breakthroughs.

The comments by Story Landis, director of the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, came as supporters of a bill to lift Bush's restrictions make a push for Senate passage in the coming weeks.

Bush used the only veto of his presidency last July to reject an identical bill and has promised another veto.

Democrats who seized control of Congress in November elections have made its passage a high priority. It cleared the House of Representatives on Jan. 11 by a vote of 253-174, short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.

Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts asked Landis during a Senate hearing to assess the impact of Bush's restrictions, imposed in August 2001.

"We are missing out on possible breakthroughs," Landis responded.

<a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N19328322.htm">U.S. official faults Bush stem cell funding limits</a> (Will Dunham, Reuters)

Gov. Martin O'Malley has proposed an additional $10 million in funding for stem-cell research in the 2008 budget he submitted to the legislature yesterday.

The proposal by Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, would augment $15 million in stem-cell research funding provided by former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican. An Ehrlich initiative directed that the money be distributed as grants through a quasi-independent Stem Cell Research Commission, whose members are appointed by state leaders and representatives of medical and research institutions.

Appointees have expertise in relevant fields, such as science, religion, bioethics and patient advocacy.

But Sen. Michael G. Lenett, a Montgomery County Democrat, yesterday introduced a bill that would require the commission to prioritize embryonic stem-cell research over adult stem-cell research, claiming embryonic stem-cell research is the more effective.

"It's been shown to be the most promising form of research," Mr. Lenett said. "It's incumbent on Maryland to take the lead."

<a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20070119-102015-2228r.htm">O'Malley seeks $10 million more for stem-cell research</a> (Tom LoBianco, THE WASHINGTON TIMES)