[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 11, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H3868]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SUPPORT USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH

  (Ms. DeGETTE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, why should we use Federal money for 
embryonic stem cell research? While it is a difficult medical-ethical 
decision to make sure we put controls in place, embryonic stem cell 
research promises new breakthroughs in science that will help literally 
tens of millions of Americans.
  There are three reasons why we need to make sure this research is 
federally funded and federally supervised.
  First, medical breakthroughs of underestimated value are available 
through funding of this research. A large body of successful work with 
mouse embryonic stem cells shows these cells are superior to adult stem 
cells in the development of what may be cures for diabetes, Parkinson's 
disease, Alzheimer's and other chronic diseases.
  Second, Federal funding provide necessary oversight of stem cell 
research. This is the new frontier, and we need to make sure we keep 
control of it.
  Finally, America has the greatest health, medical and science 
community in the world. Federal funding will help U.S. scientists keep 
pace with international researchers. We need to find the cure for 
diabetes, we need to find the cure for Parkinson's, for Alzheimer's and 
so many other diseases. Let us keep this research going.

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