[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 18, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN SUPPORT OF LIFTING THE BAN ON FEDERALLY FUNDED STEM CELL RESEARCH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 18, 2006

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, it isn't every day that we get to come to 
the House Floor with the opportunity to save lives. When we voted on 
H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, we were given that 
very chance. With the Senate voting on the bill in the coming days, we 
must respond to 72 percent of Americans, scientists, researchers, and 
Nobel laureates and vote to continue our support for lifting the ban on 
which stem cell lines can be federally funded.
  Right now, only 22 of the 78 stem cell lines approved by President 
Bush are left. Many of these lines have been contaminated and are no 
longer useful, but more than 400,000 frozen embryos exist in the United 
States. With further research, these cells may be used as 
``replacement'' cells and tissues to treat many diseases including 
Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, AIDS, Lou Gehrig's 
disease and others. Stem cell research holds hope of one day being able 
to treat brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke for which there 
is currently no treatment available. And they may solve the problem of 
the body's reaction to foreign tissue, resulting in dramatic 
improvements in the treatment of a number of life-threatening 
conditions, such as burns and kidney failure, for which transplantation 
is currently used.
  As a co-chair on the Working Group for Parkinson's Disease and as 
someone who has lost a very close family member to Parkinson's disease, 
I know firsthand just how important this legislation is and how 
important it is to open up the stem cell lines. Parkinson's disease is 
a progressive degenerative brain disease which kills a specialized and 
vital type of brain cell, a cell which produces the substance dopamine, 
that is essential for normal movement and balance. The loss of these 
dopamine-producing cells causes symptoms, including slowness and 
paucity of movement, tremor, stiffness, and difficulty walking and 
balancing, which makes the sufferer unable to carry out the normal 
activities of daily living. In 30 percent of the cases those symptoms 
include dementia. As the disease progresses, it inflicts horrific 
physical, emotional, and financial burdens on the patient and family, 
requiring the caregiver to assist in the activities of daily living, 
and may eventually lead to placement in a nursing home until death.
  With further research into stem cells, scientists will be able to 
``reprogram'' the stem cells into the dopamine-producing cells which 
are lost in Parkinson's disease. One million Americans are afflicted by 
this terrible disease. This bill will directly help them.
  As for the suspensions we are debating today. I have heard Members of 
the other body claim that they are useless, but harmless. That they 
don't do anything to help and that there are no applications of science 
that they would impact, that fetal farms simply don't exist.
  Mr. Speaker, we have a bill before us that will save millions of 
lives and impact millions more.
  It's time that we put the politics aside, listen to the science, and 
do what's right.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 810.

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