[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 22, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H7335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SNOWFLAKES EMBRYO ADOPTION

  (Mr. SMITH of New Jersey asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, less than 5 minutes ago, I was 
in a room here in the Capitol filled with children who were frozen 
embryos, several months--even years ago--who went on to be adopted. The 
stories of these adopted embryos, with names like Kate and Mike, are 
compelling. We know of at least 60 children who were once cryogenically 
frozen but have now gone on to be adopted. An adoption program called 
Snowflakes adoption agency that has been promoting this loving adoption 
option and underscores why we need to protect these newly created human 
beings and not steal their stem cells for use in research.
  Let me also point out to my colleagues that we often hear the term 
``spare embryos'' in connection with embryonic stem cell research. I 
hope that we will cease employing that very false term. There is no 
such thing as a spare embryo. These individuals can be adopted, they 
are being adopted; and they are just like any other little boy or girl.
  We should put our emphasis, and our research dollars, Mr. Speaker, on 
adult stem cell research and cord blood stem cell research. This 
research has no ethical downside. And it has worked. That is where the 
real breakthroughs are occurring each and every day. Heart repair and 
myriad other advances are occurring not from embryonic, but from 
adult--and cord blood stem cells.

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