[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 94 (Tuesday, July 18, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5345-H5352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FETUS FARMING PROHIBITION ACT OF 2006
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the Senate bill (S. 3504) to amend the Public Health Service Act
to prohibit the solicitation or acceptance of tissue from fetuses
gestated for research purposes, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 3504
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Fetus Farming Prohibition
Act of 2006''.
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF THE SOLICITATION OR ACCEPTANCE OF
TISSUE FROM FETUSES GESTATED FOR RESEARCH
PURPOSES.
Section 498B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
289g-2) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections
(d) and (e), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Solicitation or Acceptance of Tissue From Fetuses
Gestated for Research Purposes.--It shall be unlawful for any
person or entity involved or engaged in interstate commerce
to--
``(1) solicit or knowingly acquire, receive, or accept a
donation of human fetal tissue knowing that a human pregnancy
was deliberately initiated to provide such tissue; or
``(2) knowingly acquire, receive, or accept tissue or cells
obtained from a human embryo or fetus that was gestated in
the uterus of a nonhuman animal.'';
(3) in paragraph (1) of subsection (d), as so redesignated,
by striking ``(a) or (b)'' and inserting ``(a), (b), or
(c)''; and
(4) in paragraph (1) of subsection (e), as so redesignated,
by striking ``section 498A(f)'' and inserting ``section
498A(g)''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Barton) and the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members may have 5
legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on
this legislation and to insert extraneous material in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise in support of this bill along with my
good friend, Congresswoman DeGette of Colorado.
I rise today in the strongest possible support of S. 3504, the Fetus
Farming Prohibition Act. Every so often, we deal with a subject on this
floor that is so ugly that the language almost is unable to qualify and
quantify that ugliness. Today is one of those moments. When you know
what fetus farming is, words like obnoxious and repugnant seem timid.
As we know, fetus farming is the gruesome idea of creating a human
fetus purely for research to harvest its organs. This bill would ban
that practice, and we cannot ban it, in my opinion, soon enough. Most
scientists today share the belief that human life should not be created
just for the purposes of experimentation, or for harvesting the organs
of one person to be given to another. The vast majority of scientists
in our Nation uphold the ethical and moral principles on which our
country forever rests, the inalienable right to life and the inherent
value of human life in whatever form it may take. These scientists are
working tirelessly with the knowledge that their efforts are to benefit
life, benefit humanity, not to benefit one person for profit at the
detriment of another person.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we have seen clear examples in other
countries that some scientists see things somewhat differently.
It is towards these scientists that the pending legislation is
directed. Rather than waiting for a horror story to appear on the front
pages or allowing for the possibility of scientific advancement taking
us down a slippery slope, this bill gives a clear signal that fetus
farming in all of its forms will not be tolerated in the United States,
nor will we allow human fetuses or embryos to be bought and sold for
research like cattle.
This legislation will ensure that nobody gains financially when
unborn children are exploited for fetal tissue research. This
legislation sends the right message on the importance of human dignity
and life at the right time.
Before the Pandora's box of fetus farming is opened and it is too
late for us to do something about it, I will urge all of my colleagues
on both sides of the aisle to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. DeGETTE. I just must say, Mr. Speaker, this has got to be a new
record of transmission of a bill from the Senate to the House. I was
literally on the Senate floor a few minutes ago when S. 3504 was
passed, and I had to run to the House to have it considered.
I think this bill is just fine. I am not sure that there is a
pressing problem in this country right now of fetal farming, but I will
support it. Like my chairman, Mr. Barton, I have complete and abhorrent
opposition to the idea of people doing fetal farming.
I must say, though, that if people are worried about women becoming
pregnant so they can be paid for making fetal tissue available for
research, I want to point out that the current law already prohibits
the sale of fetal tissue. Section 498(b) of the Public Health Service
Act says: ``It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly acquire,
receive or otherwise transfer any human fetal issue for valuable
consideration.''
In addition, a yearly amendment that we do, called Dickey-Wicker,
already forbids the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research
purposes. So while this bill is completely unnecessary, I guess we will
just pass it today and move on.
But here is the real reason this bill has been fast-tracked from the
Senate, why there is a second bill that will be fast-tracked from the
Senate, and that is because of H.R. 810, the Embryonic Stem Cell
Enhancement Act, which has been cosponsored by my friend Mike Castle
from Delaware and myself.
This important piece of legislation expands embryonic stem cell
research so that the 110 million Americans and their families who
suffer from diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, nerve
cell damage and on and on, so that the bill would allow embryonic
research to be expanded so that those patients can have hope for cures.
Unlike many other kinds of stem cells, adult stem cells and cord
blood, embryonic stem cells have shown great promise in being a
potential cure for these diseases. That is why a majority of this body
passed that legislation on May 24 of 2005.
{time} 1645
This is why the Senate is poised to pass that legislation with over
60 votes today.
H.R. 810 will go directly to the President's desk. Sadly, the
President has announced his intention to make H.R. 810 the very first
veto of his 6-year administration. He has signed over 1,600
[[Page H5346]]
bills, but he has announced he is going to veto a bill that could
provide hope for tens of millions of Americans.
In order to do that, though, the President will need cover, since 72
percent of Americans support embryonic stem cell research, and that is
what this bill, S. 3504, and its companion bill from the Senate will
hopefully I guess give the administration cover.
There will be no solace, these bills, to the patients of America.
These bills are merely a fig leaf to show that the veto that is
happening is going to prevent the most promising research that could
happen for all these patients, and so while I support S. 3504, no one
would support fetus farming. Let us really call this what this is.
This is the first in a pair of fig leaf bills designed to give cover
to the President, and I, for one, think it is a sad day when we are
rushing to judgment on such an important research potential.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal), the subcommittee
chairman.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding,
and I rise in support of this legislation. As a cosponsor of the House
equivalent of this Senate bill to prohibit fetus farming, I believe it
is something that we need to take action on.
What is fetus farming? Simply put, it is the creation and development
of a human fetus for the purposes of later killing it for research or
for harvesting its organs.
While advances in scientific research have led to some new and
exciting treatments that have enlarged and enhanced the quality and
length of human life, we must not lose sight as to what we are trying
to accomplish. Scientific advancement should aim to affirm and to
improve human life.
Unfortunately, some have begun to pursue scientific research for its
own benefit or for profit, without respect for human life. Science
without respect for human life is degrading to us all and reflects a
hollow and deceptive philosophy, a philosophy that we as a people
should never condone.
In the grisly process of fetus farming, a woman might become pregnant
with the sole intention of selling the tissue of her unborn child. An
unscrupulous individual could pay a young, underprivileged woman, for
example, to become pregnant so that the fetal tissue could be
harvested. Even more appalling and disturbing, human embryos could be
harvested for their tissue after developing in the womb of a nonhuman
animal.
While some of these scenarios may seem like something out of the
realm of fantasy, fetus farming is an emerging possibility in our
world. As I stand here today, some scientists are engaged in animal
research that uses cloned embryos, implanted and grown in the womb
before being aborted so that the tissue could be harvested. Sometimes,
cloned animal fetuses are allowed to develop almost to the newborn
stage before being aborted and used to test new therapies.
We now know that human cloning is not only a possibility but is
already happening. Many of my colleagues may have heard or read about a
technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer, also known as
therapeutic cloning, in which a cloned human embryo is created and then
destroyed for the purposes of harvesting its cells. It is only one
small step further to begin creating and developing human fetuses for
the purposes of research or for harvesting the unborn child's organs.
Just because scientists have the knowledge to do it, the technology
to do it, and some may even have a financial motive or other incentive
to do it, does not make it right.
Congress should take this proactive step to eliminate fetus farming.
Human life should never be made into a commodity, and I urge my
colleagues to vote in favor of S. 3504.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
That message from the Senate, I guess, means that within moments,
sheer moments, S. 2754 will also be up on the House here because, as I
said, this entire package is being railroaded through so that it can
reach the President's desk in a neat little package.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman
from the First State, Delaware (Mr. Castle), the distinguished former
Governor, to speak on this particular bill.
Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I hope I
have the right bill. I am a little confused, too, the way bills are
flying through here.
I do rise in support of the bill the chairman has spoken of, S. 3504,
legislation which is aimed at preventing so-called fetal farming; and
while such fetal farming may not be taking place now, I applaud my
colleagues for being forward thinking and targeting such an exploitive
practice now.
This legislation is critical because it places ethical restrictions
on what can and cannot be done in federally funded research.
Ethical guidelines are absolutely critical to guide all federally
funded research. That is exactly why Representative Diana DeGette and I
have been pressing strongly for President Bush to sign H.R. 810, the
Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, into law. Contrary to popular
belief, H.R. 810 does not increase funding for embryonic stem cell
research, nor does it fund the creation or destruction of embryos.
Rather, it allows researchers access to the best and most promising
stem cell lines, while creating for the first time an ethical construct
to guide this research at the National Institutes of Health.
H.R. 810 has strict financial prohibitions in place, and it prohibits
the creation of embryos for research purposes. It enables the creators
of the embryo to first make a decision about what they want to do with
leftover embryos, which are really 5-day-old blastocysts, no bigger
than the tip of a pencil. If they choose discard, it allows them the
option to donate these embryos to research, instead of medical waste.
No money can exchange hands throughout the process. The legislation
only allows federally funded research on stem cell lines derived
ethically with private funds. No Federal funds can be used.
Mr. Speaker, biomedical research is something that must be carefully
monitored and rigorous guidelines must be established. That is exactly
what this bill, S. 3504, aims to do, and it is what H.R. 810 aims to
do. I ask my colleagues to support the underlying legislation and to
urge President Bush not to veto H.R. 810.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Energy and
Commerce Committee for yielding to me and want to commend her on the
outstanding job she is doing in fighting for embryonic stem cell
research, which the American people want. The American people across
ideological lines understand that this is something that will help
people in their battles against illness; and why there is such rigid
ideology on the other side, I just really do not understand.
The Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006 is fine the way it is. None
of us oppose it. None of us would take issue with it, but it does not
really do what the American people want us to do.
The American people know that the United States has always led the
way with medical research. We have always led the way in finding cures
for diseases. We have always led the way in terms of our health care.
And what is happening is obviously because there has been a
prohibition on stem cell research, that we have fallen behind, and so
other countries are eclipsing us, other countries which I believe
cannot do it as well as we could do it if we were allowed to do it. And
so as a result, people are dying and being injured with no help every
day when, if we were permitted to have stem cell research, we could
have the help that we need.
This is an undertaking that really the Federal Government needs to
put itself behind and which cannot work if it is left to the private
sector. It cannot work if it is only going to be certain kinds of cells
or certain limited amounts of cells.
This has to be something that we have to do. I am very sensitive to
people who care about this issue; but this, to me, has nothing to do
with the issue of abortion or any of those issues. This is about saving
people's lives and making it easier for people who have loved
[[Page H5347]]
ones, who are ill and who would rely on this kind of research to get
better soon.
So I would hope that my colleagues would support stem cell research
and vote for this bill; but again, this bill is only a scratch. We need
to do much more.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), one of the leaders
in the pro-life community.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, fetus farming, the growing of embryos and fetuses so as
to derive tissue or organs and other cells for research or treatment,
turns human beings into commodities.
Fetus farming is a grave violation of human rights and is an act of
research violence that Congress must stop.
The harbinger of human fetus farming, Mr. Speaker, can be found in
animal fetus farming studies already under way. We know that
researchers are not doing this research to advance veterinary medicine.
Dr. Robert Lanza, for example, of Advanced Cell Technology, attempted
to clone cows for their liver stem cells. The cloned cow fetuses were
implanted and grown in the womb for 3 to 4 months before being aborted
so their liver tissue could be harvested. Dr. Lanza said ominously,
``We hope to use this technology in the future to treat patients with
diverse diseases.'' He is not talking about cows. He is talking about
human beings.
Another researcher, Dr. Smadar Evantov-Friedman of the Weizmann
Institute of Science in Israel, conducted research to determine the
best ``gestational time windows for the growth of pig embryonic liver,
pancreas, and lung precursors.'' They determined that the best windows
for tissue ranged from more than 2 months to more than 6 months, and
that is 6 months of gestation.
This is not science fiction, Mr. Speaker. This is actual animal
research. I have no doubt that Dr. Lanza and Evantov-Friedman and
others are not investing enormous amounts of money and talent in
research for cures for animals.
And the loopholes to allow fetus farming already exist in State laws.
In my home State of New Jersey, a law was enacted in 2004 that defines
a cloning ban in such a bizarre way so as to ban it only if the cloned
human being is grown to the newborn stage.
Thus, in my State, a cloned embryo could be grown to the later fetal
stage and then aborted for research. I would point out parenthetically
that many of us raised these issues with our Governor, then Gov.
McGreevey. I gave him a letter outlining these concerns about the
legislation. They knew that what they were doing would allow the
harvesting, the fetus farming of these individuals.
S. 3504 makes it unlawful to solicit or knowingly acquire, receive,
or accept a donation of human fetal tissue knowing that a human
pregnancy was deliberately initiated to provide such tissue or
knowingly acquire or receive or accept tissue or cells obtained from a
human embryo or fetus that was gestated in a nonhuman animal.
Fetus farming is dehumanizing. It is a serious violation of human
rights. Every human life is precious, Mr. Speaker, and has innate value
and dignity. Every human life, regardless of age, maturity or condition
of dependency deserves respect. Every human life, no matter how small,
deserves protection from harm, inhumane experimentation or slaughter.
{time} 1700
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise
and extend her remarks.)
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman
from Colorado and the distinguished gentleman from Delaware, and a
number of others, along with the cosponsors, of which I am very proud
to have been a cosponsor. And I thank the Energy and Commerce
Committee.
I rise to acknowledge and support S. 3504. This bill prohibits the
harvesting of human fetal tissue or embryos for scientific research,
which is consistent with current science research practices anyway. I
am delighted to join in and support this moral boundary to prohibit
heinous practices that are already law.
At the same time, I would ask that we move quickly to pass H.R. 810,
the Castle-DeGette Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act which would
expand Federal funding for enormously promising embryonic stem cell
research; but more importantly, as those who are languishing in our
districts, some who have lost their life, others who are seeking some
relief with spinal injuries, if you will, spinal cord injuries, with
Parkinson's disease, begging that we move forward on H.R. 810,
embryonic stem cell research has the potential to unlock the doors to
treatments, diseases, and cures for numerous illnesses, including
diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's Disease,
multiple sclerosis, cancer and spinal cord injuries. The very same
voice that Nancy Reagan raised, we are raising on this floor.
Embryonic stem cell research could benefit an estimated 100 million
Americans, those with these diseases and those having family members
with these diseases. More importantly, children who have not seen the
future before them could now have an open opportunity.
Senator Bill Frist said it right: Embryonic stem cells uniquely hold
specific promise that adult stem cells cannot provide. Our country's
leading scientists and biomedical researchers support H.R. 810. The
Santorum-Specter alternative stem cell research bill is no replacement
for that bill.
Yes, we can support the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006. We can
support it, but I hope we will rush to the floor and support H.R. 810
so Americans might still live.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support S. 3504, the Fetus Farming
Prohibition Act. I am under no illusion that this bill will contribute
significantly to the advancement of stem cell research.
This bill prohibits the harvesting of human fetal tissue or embryos
for scientific research, which is consistent with current scientific
research practices anyway. There is no argument that the provisions in
this bill would prevent repulsive practices from occurring, but there
is also no evidence that these practices would ever occur. By
designating this moral boundary, this bill requires researchers to find
a way to make stem cells reap the potential benefits while skirting a
politically divisive issue.
As a Member of the Science Committee, I am committed to the
advancement of science. I believe we should explore creative
initiatives and pursue sound research. By demonizing science, we only
hurt ourselves and make it more likely that our country will fall
behind other countries in the critically important fields of science,
technology, and innovation.
For many of us, our driver's license exhibits a tiny red heart, which
indicates to any emergency personnel that, God forbid, in a fatal
accident, I have voluntarily chosen to be an organ donor. A similar
option exists for those who prefer to dedicate themselves to scientific
research postmortem.
For those who may not know, the first scientists to successfully
separate and grow cultures of stem cells in 1998 utilized discarded
tissue. In all cases, it was from an unrelated yet previous decision,
such as non-living fetuses obtained from terminated first trimester
pregnancies. The distinction is important--this is not sacrificing one
life for another, it is the possibility of bringing more life out of a
death.
What the authors of this bill call fetal farming, the scientific
community calls ``therapeutic cloning.'' Therapeutic cloning involves
removing the DNA from an unfertilized human egg and replacing it with
DNA from a patient. The egg then divides through mitosis to become a
blastocyst. A blastocyst is a clump of several dozen cells that then
produces stem cells with DNA identical to the patient.
Though a fetus could not develop in these conditions, many contend
that the resulting blastocyst is still a human embryo. It is important
to note that the process does not involve a human pregnancy.
Ethical boundaries are crucial to the integrity of science. Naming a
bill creatively, on the other hand, and making a big issue out of a
non-contentious point does not improve the law.
Unfortunately, however, this simple little bill and its companion,
which we are also discussing today, do not weigh the consequences of
any of these valid policy discussions. Instead, it does little to
advance the very serious and promising area of scientific research that
is reflected in H.R. 810; this research is supported by a majority of
this House, and hopefully will be reaffirmed by this House later this
week.
[[Page H5348]]
This bill prohibits the ``harvesting'' of human fetal tissue or
embryos for scientific research, which is consistent with current
scientific research practices anyway. There is no argument that the
provisions in this bill would prevent repulsive practices from
occurring, but there is also no evidence that these practices would
ever occur. By designating this moral boundary, this bill requires
researchers to find a way to make stem cells reap the potential
benefits while skirting a politically divisive issue.
I am not opposed to this Jill, although it does not further
scientific research. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of
science, scientific research, and the promise of scientific advancement
later this week.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman
from Ohio (Mrs. Schmidt).
(Mrs. SCHMIDT asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3504, the
Fetus Farming Prohibition Act. As my colleagues know, researchers have
already published studies in which cloned animals were grown in utero
to harvest fetal tissue. Some researchers have indicated that cells or
tissues from human fetuses are more desirable than embryonic stem
cells.
It is morally shocking to think that someone would engage in so-
called ``fetus farming'' of a human embryonic embryo. It is essential
that Congress act today and pass the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act to
prevent and prohibit such gruesome research from ever being performed
on a developing human child.
Congress has a moral obligation to protect women and the unborn, and
I urge my colleagues to support S. 3504 to do just that.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Carnahan).
Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Colorado for
her leadership on this important issue. I rise today to talk about S.
3504, the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006. Sponsors of this bill
say it is necessary to ban the practice of fetal farming, which is the
development of embryos for the sole purpose of research in questionable
ways.
I support this bill and intend to vote for it, but at the end of the
day this bill does little more than ban researchers from taking actions
they don't want to take anyway. It does draw a line in the sand which I
think is important to have in our law, but it does nothing to advance
scientific research in our country. It does nothing to fulfill the
promise of stem cell research.
I understand just minutes ago the other body passed H.R. 810, a
landmark bill that would allow the kind of research necessary to help
tens of millions of Americans who suffer with a genetic sentence of
disability or death. H.R. 810, which passed this House last year
through an extraordinary bipartisan effort, would apply strict ethical
guidelines to and expand Federal funding for the most promising methods
of stem cell research.
H.R. 810 is the only bill this Congress has debated that has the
potential to truly unlock the doors to treatments and cures for so many
who really need them. I am bitterly disappointed that the President has
threatened to use his first veto to stop this important scientific
progress.
Unfortunately for some, the bill before us now has been a
distraction, or worse yet, a source of political cover for those who do
not support this landmark bill, H.R. 810.
I urge my colleagues to continue the bipartisan spirit that this
House started last year that could be so meaningful to millions of
people around this country. Let's continue this work for meaningful
progress in stem cell research. Let's not get sidetracked by political
gamesmanship. The American people demand it.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we are so happy the Senate is
working today. It gives us something to do, but I only have one more
speaker, the sponsor of the House companion bill, Dr. Weldon.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, we rushed over here literally from the
Senate floor. I do have other Members who would like to speak on this
bill, but they are not here yet. I intend to close for my side.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. We only have one other speaker, so if you would
like to close for your side.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, S. 3504, the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006,
which as we mentioned just passed the Senate a few moments ago, is
important in the sense that it is Congress' way of saying that we need
to ensure that the scientific research that we do is ethical, that what
we do to try to cure diseases is always ethical.
I, frankly, very rarely find myself agreeing with people like Mr.
Smith and Mr. Weldon on this issue. But in the case of S. 3504 I do,
because I don't agree we should have fetal farming. None of us agree
that we should have fetal farming. It is wrong, and it is unethical.
But nobody should again convince themselves that this bill has
anything whatsoever to do with the great promise that embryonic stem
cell research holds. In addition, S. 2754 which came over here just on
the heels of the other legislation, this bill is also attempting to
give cover to those who say that they want to support research, but
they don't support embryonic stem cell research.
As I will discuss moments from now when we bring up that bill, that
bill is no substitute for embryonic stem cell research. In fact, the
greatest promise for creating cures to diseases that affect millions of
Americans is H.R. 810 which, as we just now learned moments ago again,
has now passed the Senate by a solid majority, bipartisan Members who
consider themselves pro-choice and Members who consider themselves pro-
life. The reason they support embryonic stem cell research is because
the vast majority of scientists agree that research holds the cure to
potentially curing diseases that affect 110 million Americans and their
families.
I have a 13-page letter signed by many, many groups, universities,
patient advocacy groups, all kinds of folks, and this letter says:
``We, the undersigned patient advocacy groups, health organizations,
research universities, scientific societies, religious groups and other
interested institutions and associations, representing millions of
patients, scientists, health care providers and advocates, write you
with our strong and unified support for H.R. 810, the Stem Cell
Research Enhancement Act.
``Of the bills being considered simultaneously, only H.R. 810 will
move stem cell research forward in our country. This is the bill which
holds promise for expanding medical breakthroughs. The other two bills
are not substitutes for a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 810.
``H.R. 810 is the pro-patient and pro-research bill. A vote in
support of H.R. 810 will be considered a vote in support of more than
100 million patients in the U.S. and substantial progress for
research.''
I include this letter for the Record.
July 14, 2006.
U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator: We, the undersigned patient advocacy groups,
health organizations, research universities, scientific
societies, religious groups and other interested institutions
and associations, representing millions of patients,
scientists, health care providers and advocates, write you
with our strong and unified support for H.R. 810, the Stem
Cell Research Enhancement Act. We urge your vote in favor of
H.R. 810 when the Senate considers the measure next week.
Of the bills being considered simultaneously, only H.R. 810
will move stem cell research forward in our country. This is
the bill which holds promise for expanding medical
breakthroughs. The other two bills--the Alternative
Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act (S. 2754) and
the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act (S. 3504)--are NOT
substitutes for a YES vote on H.R. 810.
H.R. 810 is the pro-patient and pro-research bill. A vote
in support of H.R. 810 will be considered a vote in support
of more than 100 million patients in the U.S. and substantial
progress for research. Please work to pass H.R. 810
immediately.
Sincerely,
AO North America, AAALAC International, AARP, Abbott
Laboratories, Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Accelerated Cure
Project for Multiple Sclerosis, Adams County Economic
Development, Inc., AdvaMed (Advanced Medical Technology
Association).
AMDeC-Academic Medicine Development Co., America on the
Move Foundation, American Academy of Neurology, American
Academy of Nursing, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry,
American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for
Cancer Research, American Association for Dental Research,
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, American
Association for
[[Page H5349]]
the Advancement of Science, American Association of
Anatomists, American Association of Colleges of Nursing,
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine,
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American
Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological
Surgeons, American Association of Public Health Dentistry,
American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, American
Brain Coalition, American Chronic Pain Association, American
College of Cardiology, American College of Medical Genetics,
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, American College
of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
American Society for Cell Biology, American Society for
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, American Society for
Microbiology, American Society for Neural Transplantation and
Repair, American Society for Nutrition, Affymetrix, Inc.,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University,
Alliance for Aging Research, Alliance for Lupus Research,
Alliance for Stem Cell Research, Alnylam US, Inc., Alpha-l
Foundation, ALS Association, Ambulatory Pediatric
Association, American College of Surgeons, American Council
on Education, American Council on Science and Health,
American Dental Association, American Dental Education
Association, American Diabetes Association, American
Federation for Aging Research, American Gastroenterological
Association, American Geriatrics Society, American Institute
for Medical and Biological Engineering, American Lung
Association, American Medical Association, American Medical
Informatics Association, American Medical Women's
Association, American Pain Foundation, American Parkinson's
Disease Association, American Parkinson's Disease Association
(Arizona Chapter), American Pediatric Society, American
Physiological Society, American Psychiatric Association,
American Psychological Association, American Public Health
Association, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research,
American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental
Therapeutics, American Society for Reproductive Medicine,
American Society for Virology, American Society of Clinical
Oncology, American Society of Critical Care
Anesthesiologists, American Society of Hematology, American
Society of Human Genetics,
American Society of Nephrology, American Society of
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, American Surgical Association,
American Surgical Association Foundation, American Thoracic
Society, American Thyroid Association, American Transplant
Foundation, Americans for Medical Progress, amFAR, The
Foundation for AIDS Research, Arizona State University
College of Nursing, Arthritis Foundation, Arthritis
Foundation, Rocky Mountain Chapter, Association for Clinical
Research Training, Association for Medical School
Pharmacology Chairs, Association for Prevention Teaching and
Research, Association for the Accreditation of Human
Research, Protection Programs, Inc., Association of Academic
Chairs of Emergency Medicine, Association of Academic
Departments of Otolaryngology.
Association of Public Health Laboratories, Association of
Reproductive Health Professionals, Association of Schools and
Colleges of Optometry, Association of Specialty Professors,
Association of University Anesthesiologists, Assurant Health,
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Athena Diagnostics,
Aurora Economic Development Council, Axion Research
Foundation, B'nai B'rith International, Baylor College of
Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine Graduate School of
Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology Industry Organization,
BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Inc., Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Foundation on Health Care, Boston Biomedical Research
Institute, Boston University School of Dental Medicine,
Boston University School of Public Health, Brigham and
Women's Hospital, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Broadened
Horizons, LLC.
Children's Research Institute (Columbus), Children's
Research Institute (Washington), Children's Tumor Foundation,
Childrens Hospital Boston, Christopher Reeve Foundation, City
and County of Denver, City of Hope National Medical Center,
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Coleman Institute for
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Colfax Marathon Partnership, Inc., Colorado Bioscience
Association, Colorado Office of Economic Development and
International Trade, Colorado State University, Association
of Academic Health Centers, Association of Academic
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Association of American Physicians, Association of American
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of Dermatology, Association of Professors of Human and
Medical Genetics, Association of Professors of Medicine,
Brown Medical School, Buck Institute for Age Research, Burns
& Allen Research Institute, Burrill & Company, Burroughs
Wellcome Fund, C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition, California
Biomedical Research Association, California Institute of
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Campaign for Medical Research, Cancer Research and Prevention
Foundation, Canon U.S. Life Sciences, Inc., Case Western
Reserve University School of Dentistry, Case Western Reserve
University School of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Health System,
Center for the Advancement of Health, Central Conference of
American Rabbis, CFIDS Association of America, Charles R.
Drew University of Medicine and Science, Charles River
Laboratories, Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation,
Children's Memorial Research Center, Children's
Neurobiological Solutions Foundation, Columbia University,
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, Columbia
University Medical Center, Community Health Partnership,
Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals, Connecticut United
for Research Excellence, Inc., Conquer Fragile X Foundation,
Cornell University, Council for the Advancement of Nursing
Science, (CANS), Creighton University School of Medicine,
CURE (Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy), Cure
Alzheimer's Fund, Cure Paralysis Now, CuresNow, Damon Runyon
Cancer Research Foundation, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,
Dartmouth Medical School, David Geffen School of Medicine
at UCLA, DENTSPLY International, Digene Corporation,
Discovery Partners International, Doheny Eye Institute,
Drexel University College of Medicine, Drexel University
School of Public Health, Duke University Medical Center,
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation.
FD Hope Foundation, Federation of American Scientists,
Federation of American Societies for Experimental, Biology
(FASEB), Federation of State Medical Boards of the United
States, Inc., Fertile Hope, Fitzsimons Redevelopment
Authority, Florida Atlantic University Division of Research,
Ford Finance, Inc., Fox Chase Cancer Center, Fred Hutchinson
Cancer Research Center, Friends of Cancer Research, Friends
of the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial
Research, Friends of the National Institute of Nursing
Research, Friends of the National Library of Medicine,
Genetic Alliance, Genetics Policy Institute, George Mason
University, Georgetown University Medical Center, Guillain
Barre Syndrome Foundation International, Gynecologic Cancer
Foundation, Hadassah, Harvard University, Harvard University
School of Dental Medicine.
Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, Jeffrey Modell
Foundation, Johns Hopkins, Johnson & Johnson, Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO), Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy, Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation, Keck School of Medicine of the
University of Southern California, Kennedy Krieger Institute,
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Foundation, Kidney Cancer Association, La Jolla Institute for
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Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society, Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown
University, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, East Tennessee State University
James H. Quillen College of Medicine, Eli Lilly and Company,
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Emory University,
Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing,
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Emory
University School of Medicine, FasterCures.
Harvard University School of Public Health, Hauptman-
Woodward Medical Research Institute, Inc., Hereditary Disease
Foundation, HHT Foundation International, Inc., Home Safety
Council, Howard University College of Dentistry, Howard
University College of Medicine, Huntington's Disease Society
of America, IBM Life Sciences Division, Illinois State
University Mennonite College of Nursing, ImmunoGen, Inc.,
Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indiana University
School of Medicine, Indiana University School of Nursing,
Infectious Diseases Society of America, Institute for African
American Health, Inc., Intercultural Cancer Council Caucus,
International Foundation for Anticancer Drug, Discovery
(IFADD), International Longevity Center--USA, International
Society for Stem Cell Research, Invitrogen Corporation, Iraq
Veterans for Cures, Iris Alliance Fund, Iron Disorders
Institute.
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center,
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of
Dentistry, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Loyola
University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Lung Cancer
Alliance, Lupus Foundation of America, Inc., Lupus Foundation
of Colorado, Inc., Lupus Research Institute, Lymphatic
Research Foundation, Mailman School of Public Health of
Columbia University, Malecare Prostate Cancer Support, March
of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, Marine Biological
Laboratory, Marshalltown [IA] Cancer Resource Center, Masonic
Medical Research Laboratory, Massachusetts Biotechnology
Council, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, MaxCyte, Inc., McLaughlin Research
Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Medical University of
South Carolina, Medical University of South Carolina
College of Nursing, MedStar Research Institute (MRI),
Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry.
Miami Children's Hospital, Midwest Nursing Research
Society, Morehouse School of
[[Page H5350]]
Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Mount Sinai School of
Medicine, National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research,
National Alliance for Hispanic Health, National Alliance for
Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, National Alliance
on Mental Illness, National Alopecia Areata Foundation,
National Asian Women's Health Organization, National
Association for Biomedical Research, National Association of
Hepatitis Task Forces, National Caucus of Basic Biomedical
Science Chairs, National Coalition for Cancer Research,
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National
Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, National Committee
for Quality Health Care, National Council of Jewish Women,
National Council on Spinal Cord Injury, National Down
Syndrome Society, National Electrical Manufacturers
Association, National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias.
New York Presbyterian Hospital, North American Brain Tumor
Coalition, North Carolina Association for Biomedical
Research, Northwest Association for Biomedical Research,
Northwestern University, Northwestern University, The
Feinberg School of Medicine, Nova Southeastern University
College of Dental Medicine, Novartis Pharmaceuticals,
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oral Health America,
Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon Health & Science
University School of Nursing, Oregon Research Institute,
Oxford Bioscience Partners, Pacific Health Research
Institute, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Parent Project
Muscular Dystrophy, Parkinson's Action Network, Parkinson's
Disease Foundation, Partnership for Prevention, Pennsylvania
Society for Biomedical Research, Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America.
Society for Male Reproduction and Urology, Society for
Neuroscience, Society for Pediatric Research, Memorial Sloan-
Kettering Cancer Center, Memory Pharmaceuticals, Mercer
University, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation.
National Health Council, National Hemophilia Foundation,
National Hispanic Health Foundation, National Jewish Medical
and Research Center, National Marfan Foundation, National
Medical Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society,
National Osteoporosis Foundation, National Partnership for
Women and Families, National Pharmaceutical Council, National
Prostate Cancer Coalition, National Quality Forum, National
Spinal Cord Injury Association, National Venture Capital
Association, Nebraskans for Research, Nemours, New Jersey
Association for Biomedical Research, New Jersey Dental
School, New York Blood Center, New York College of
Osteopathic Medicine, New York State Association of County
Health Officials, New York Stem Cell Foundation, New York
University College of Dentistry, New York University School
of Medicine, Pittsburgh Development Center, Princeton
University, Project A.L.S., Prostate Cancer Foundation,
Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum International, Quest for the Cure,
RAND Health, Research!America, Resolve: The National
Infertility Association, RetireSafe, Rett Syndrome Research
Foundation, Rice University, Robert Packard Center for ALS
Research at Johns Hopkins, The Rockefeller University,
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Rush
University Medical Center, Rutgers University, Salk Institute
for Biological Studies, sanofi-aventis, Scleroderma Research
Foundation, Secular Coalition for America, Sjogren's Syndrome
Foundation, Inc., Society for Advancement of Violence and
Injury, Research (SAVIR), Society for Assisted Reproductive
Technology, Society for Education in Anesthesia Society for
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Society for
Women's Health Research, Society of Academic Anesthesiology
Chairs, Society of General Internal Medicine, Society of
Gynecologic Oncologists, Society of Reproductive Surgeons,
Society of University Otolaryngologists, South Alabama
Medical Science Foundation, South Dakota State University,
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Spina
Bifida Association of America, Stanford University, State
University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental
Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical,
Center College of Medicine at Brooklyn, State University
of New York Upstate Medical University, Stem Cell Action
Network, Stem Cell Research Foundation, Steven and Michele
Kirsch Foundation, Stony Brook University, State
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International, Inc., Student Society for Stem Cell
Research, Suicide Prevention Action Network-USA (SPAN),
Take Charge! Cure Parkinson's, Inc.
The Georgetown University Center for the Study of Sex
Difference in Health, Aging and Disease, The Gerontological
Society of America, The J. David Gladstone Institutes, The
Jackson Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg
School of Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University School
of Nursing, The Medical College of Wisconsin, The Medical
Foundation, Inc., The Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson's Research, The Ohio State University College of
Dentistry, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and
Public Health, The Ohio State University School of Public
Health, The Parkinson Alliance and Unity Walk, The Research
Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc., The Rockefeller
University, The Schepens Eye Research Institute, The
Scientist, The Scripps Research Institute, The Smith-
Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, The Society for
Investigative Dermatology, The Spiral Foundation, The
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, The
University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine,
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University of Arizona College of Medicine, University of
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Targacept, Inc., Temple University School of Dentistry,
Texans for Advancement of Medical Research, Texas A&M
University Health Science Center, Texas Medical Center, Texas
Tech University Health Sciences Center, The Arc of the United
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The CJD Foundation, The Critical Path Institute (C-Path), The
Endocrine Society, The FAIR Foundation, The Food Allergy and
Anaphylaxis Network, The Food Allergy Project, Inc., The
Forsyth Institute, The Foundation Fighting Blindness, The
George Washington University Medical Center.
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry, The University
of Iowa College of Public Health, The University of
Mississippi Medical Center, The University of Mississippi
Medical Center School of Dentistry, The University of
Oklahoma College of Dentistry, The University of Oklahoma
Health Sciences Center, The University of Tennessee Health
Science Center, The University of Tennessee HSC College of
Nursing, The University of Texas Health Science Center at
Houston, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San
Antonio, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center,
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston School of
Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center, The University of Toledo Academic Health Science
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Berkeley School of Public Health, University of California,
Davis, University of California, Irvine, University of
California, Los Angeles, University of California, Los
Angeles School of Dentistry, University of California, Los
Angeles School of Medicine, University of California, San
Diego, University of California, San Francisco, University
of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry,
University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing,
University of California, Santa Cruz, University of
Chicago, University of Cincinnati Medical Center,
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Center, University of Colorado at Denver and HSC School of
Dentistry, University of Colorado at Denver and HSC School
of Nursing, University of Connecticut School of Medicine,
University of Florida, University of Florida College of
Dentistry, University of Georgia, University of Illinois.
University of Michigan School of Dentistry, University of
Michigan School of Nursing, University of Michigan School of
Public Health, University of Minnesota, University of
Minnesota School of Public Health, University of Missouri at
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Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska Medical
Center College of Dentistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
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Medicine.
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, WE
MOVE, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Whitehead
Institute for Biomedical Research, WiCell Research
Institution, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, University
of Illinois at Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago
College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago
College of Nursing, University of Iowa, University of Kansas,
University of Kansas Medical Center, University of Kansas
Medical Center School of Nursing, University of Kentucky,
University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, University of
Louisville, University of Louisville School of Dentistry,
University of Maryland at Baltimore, University of Maryland
at Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, University of
Maryland at Baltimore School of Nursing, University of Miami,
University of Michigan, University of Michigan College of
Pharmacy, University of Michigan Medical School.
University of Rochester Medical Center, University of
Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of
Rochester School of Nursing, University of South Carolina
Office of Research and Health Sciences,
[[Page H5351]]
University of South Dakota School of Medicine and Health
Sciences, University of South Florida, University of South
Florida College of Nursing, University of Southern
California, University of Southern California School of
Dentistry, University of Utah HSC School of Medicine,
University of Vermont College of Medicine, University of
Washington, University of Washington School of Dentistry,
University of Washington School of Nursing, University of
Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Van Andel Research
Institute, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center,
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Virginia
Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Virginia
Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Wake Forest
University School of Medicine, Washington University in St.
Louis, Washington University in St. Louis Center for Health
Policy, Wisconsin Association for Biomedical Research and
Education, Woodruff Health Sciences Center at Emory
University, Wright State University School of Medicine, Yale
University, Yale University School of Medicine, Yale
University School of Nursing.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, many have said that adult stem cell
research can be a substitute for embryonic stem cell research. To those
people I would say that is simply not true. I support adult stem cell
research. I support cord blood research. I support anything that could
help cure all of the diseases that affect Americans.
But those who say adult stem cell research will be a substitute are
demagoguing that issue for political gain and that is wrong.
Dr. Harold Varmus summarized it for all of the hundreds of
researchers and the people who have done studies when he said just this
week: ``Compared to adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells have a much
greater potential, according to all existing scientific literature.''
Some researchers have said well, maybe we can find cures through
adult stem cell research. Some researchers have said maybe we could do
embryonic stem cell research in alternative ways, but those methods
have shown no promise whatsoever.
By way of contrast, recently researchers were able to create beta
cells in mouse pancreases which then became insulin-producing islet
cells. Even more recently, researchers were able to take embryonic stem
cells and make nerve cells to help with nerve damage and paralysis.
Adult stem cells cannot be used for that purpose.
So in fact, the only promise for many diseases like the ones I
mentioned, is embryonic stem cell research. That is why, Mr. Speaker,
it is all well and good if people want to vote for S. 3504. It is all
well and good if they want to say they support these other kinds of
research, but in truth the only research that the tens of millions of
Americans will rely on is embryonic stem cell research.
In closing, our President has said that he will veto this
legislation, H.R. 810, and sign S. 3504. I will say this to the
President: In 6 years in office, over 1,600 bills he has signed, he has
signed bills that make our budget deficit the worst in our country. He
has signed bills that allow us to go to war against other nations. He
has signed post office namings, and so many other bills. This bill,
Mike Castle and I, we drafted this bill to be very narrow.
{time} 1715
We only allowed embryos which are created to give life for in vitro
fertilization clinics and are then slated to be destroyed as medical
waste to be donated voluntarily by the donors to be used for embryonic
stem cell research. This is the pro-life alternative. This is the
alternative that lets people, once they have had their babies for in
vitro fertilization, say, I don't want my embryos thrown away. I want
them used for medical research. I want those embryos to be used to save
lives.
I just have one personal thing to say in closing. When people say
that a 12-celled embryo is more important than patients today, I think
of my 12-year-old daughter who suffers from type I diabetes. I think of
the medical test that she does every day, sticking her finger. I think
of the insulin that she must have to stay alive, and I say to the
President, and I say to those that think that those embryos are more
important than they are, I say, you know, come walk in her shoes for a
day.
Come walk in the shoes of Lane Evans, our colleague who cannot appear
on this floor because of his debilitating illness.
Come walk in the shoes, unfortunately you couldn't walk in the shoes
of our colleague, Jim Langevin, who was paralyzed in a tragic gun
accident and never walked again. And you tell all of those people that
an embryo which is going to be thrown away for medical waste is more
important than those people.
And that is why tens of millions of people will be watching this
vote, and tens of millions of people will be watching the President
this week. I suggest that the most important vote we can take is a vote
for life and a vote for 810.
I want to thank my colleagues in the House for passing this bill. It
was a bipartisan effort. And I want to urge them to think about that
later this week if, as expected, a veto override vote comes to the
floor.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, to close on this very important
piece of legislation, I yield to the House sponsor of the companion
bill, Dr. Dave Weldon of Florida.
Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Barton.
And I particularly want to thank the cosponsor of this legislation,
Subcommittee Chairman Deal. And I am certainly pleased that this
legislation that we introduced passed the Senate unanimously. I fully
expect something similar here in the House.
This bill, and I just want to point out to my colleagues, we are not
revoting H.R. 810. We are talking about the bill to ban the procedure
called fetal farming. And we are taking up the Senate version of the
bill, which is a verbatim equivalent to the bill that Mr. Deal and I
introduced.
This bill sets a very, very important ethical boundary for biomedical
research in this country, and obviously there is an ethical boundary
that today we all agree on. It is a modest, but important, update to
the Waxman 1993 fetal tissue research prohibitions.
These laws, as developed in the 1990s, attempt to protect women from
being coerced into having an abortion for the purpose of providing
fetal tissue for research. What they were trying to do is say you can
only use voluntarily aborted fetal tissue. Then, as now, the concern
was that women would be exploited. Because of this, in my bill the
researchers are held accountable, not any woman who may be engaged in
this procedure.
My bill adds a simple provision that would hold researchers
criminally liable for intentionally implanting a human embryo, either
in a womb or in an animal womb, for the purpose of harvesting the
tissue for research.
Otherwise, the Waxman language is the same. It stays the same. The
criminal penalties are the same. The definition of the fetus is the
same.
When Congressman Waxman originally developed these laws, the thought
of fetus farming hadn't even crossed our minds. Even now, most of us
and most scientists would say that fetus farming is unthinkable.
Science Magazine, in their reporting on the bill, stated, this bill,
the one we are debating now, not H.R. 810, that fetus farming was
``ethically taboo for any legitimate researcher.''
However, what I want to get into now, and that is the reason I have
the posters, this is the reason I have introduced this legislation. It
may be considered taboo now, but I don't know if it will still be
considered taboo in 2 or 3 or 4 years. And the way these things usually
progress is they start doing it in animals and it shows a little bit of
maybe potential, and then people start saying, we can cure diabetes and
Parkinson's disease if we just start doing this in humans. And that is
the direction they want to go.
Now, this was the first study that caught my attention, and as I have
stated many times on the floor of this Chamber, I am a physician. I
still see patients once a month. I have treated diabetes and
Parkinson's. My uncle died of complications of Parkinson's. My father
died of complications of diabetes. I have dealt with this as a
professional. I have dealt with this in my family.
What they did is this is a cow study, and I would be happy to provide
this to anybody. They did cloning, but then they took the cloned
embryos, put them in a cow, and cardiac and skeletal tissue from 5- to
6-week-old cloned natural fetuses were used in this study,
[[Page H5352]]
and they tried to show that it had some therapeutic potential.
This was a second one, a cow study where they did the exact same
thing, cloning, and they put it in a cow and they grew it into the
fetal stage. And that is because embryonic stem cells are really a
hassle to work with. It is really easier to use fetal tissue. And that
is one of the arguments I have been making ever since I introduced my
original bill to ban human cloning.
If you don't think scientists want to start doing this, here it is.
This is one of the researchers involved with this. He says, ``We hope
to use this technology in the future to treat patients with diverse
diseases.'' And that is usually the way we go. We say, oh, this is
ethically taboo. Oh, we don't want to do this. And then somebody with a
Ph.D. on the end of their name comes along and says, we are going to be
able to cure this and cure that, even though there is very little
evidence, scientifically, to say that the cures will be there or at
least, like in the case of human embryonic stem cell research, most
credible researchers in moments of honesty will acknowledge it is 10 to
20 years, if ever, going to be applicable.
But that is what they will do. They will say we are going to cure
this. We are going to cure that.
So I am very grateful the Senate voted unanimously. I fully expect
this bill to pass overwhelmingly on suspension. And we will draw a line
in the sand to say we are not going to take this whole area of tissue
therapies into the realm of where we are exploiting fetuses.
Today, there is a majority in both bodies that want to exploit
embryos. But we are saying collectively, as a Nation, through the votes
of the Members of both Chambers, that we are not going to start
exploiting fetuses. I think it is the right thing for us to do, and I
am very, very pleased at the expedited action on this bill.
And, again, I want to thank Chairman Barton and particularly my
cosponsor, Chairman Deal.
Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3504, the
Fetus Farming Prohibition Act.
This critical legislation will help prevent the dangerous potential
for creation of human ``fetus farms'' to harvest children's tissues and
organs for medical research. It would make it a federal crime
punishable by up to ten years in prison to knowingly buy or sell human
fetal tissue from a pregnancy deliberately initiated for the purpose of
harvesting organs and tissues.
Unless S. 3504 is enacted, the potential for exploitation of women
and children is tremendous. Animal research has already been conducted
that raises severe ethical concerns for application in humans. For
example, Advanced Cell Technology attempted to clone cow fetuses,
implanted the fetuses within a womb and grew them for three to four
months before aborting the cows to harvest their liver tissue for
research. In addition, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology cloned
and grew mouse fetuses to correct an immune deficiency, but the
research was only successful when the mouse was aborted at the newborn
stage for cell harvesting.
Some researchers have already indicated that cells or tissues from
human fetuses are more desirable than embryonic stem cells because they
are more developed and adaptable for transplantation. While the
biotechnology industry claims no interest in maintaining cloned human
embryos past 14 days, it has supported State laws such as the New
Jersey law which allows ``fetus farming'' into the ninth month of
pregnancy to harvest more developed organs and tissues. The potential
to pay women to act as incubators for children to be grown and aborted
for ``research'' is easily seen. S. 3504 would prevent this horrific
situation, and I am proud President Bush has agreed to sign this
legislation into law upon passage by Congress today.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 3504 to uphold human
life and protect women and children from exploitation in unethical
research.
Mr. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I support S. 3504 because I think it is
essential to have the strictest of guidelines that reflect our Nation's
values regarding the creation and responsible treatment of human
embryos.
Having said this, if we pass this bill without also enacting
legislation to allow for federally funded and regulated stem cell
research, we are saying ``no'' to the potential of life saving
treatments for millions of Americans who suffer from diseases for which
there are currently limited or no treatment options.
Later this week, the House will likely vote on H.R. 810, the Stem
Cell Research Enhancement Act, a bill which puts into place critical
federal support for embryonic research under the strictest ethical
requirements, and I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill.
Under H.R. 810 embryonic stem cell lines will be eligible for
research funding only if embryos used to derive stem cells were
originally created for fertility treatment purposes, are in excess of
clinical need, and are donated for the purpose of research.
H.R. 810 will bring embryonic stem cell research under the National
Institutes of Health, ensuring rigorous controls and ethical guidelines
on this research that only NIH can impose. We have a moral imperative
to ensure that this research is conducted in adherence to sound
medical, ethical, and moral guidelines.
The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act will advance medical science
and will almost certainly save lives and provide hope to millions of
Americans afflicted with suffering from diseases and injuries,
including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, heart disease, and spinal injuries.
Without federal funding and standards, scientific progress will move
overseas and Americans' access to the most important medical
innovations will be limited.
I join Dr. Frist, the Senate Republican leader, in support of this
bill, as well the governor of California, Governor Schwarzenegger, who
has asked the President to withhold his veto.
The Federal Government has a key role to lead, to encourage and to
assist in the cutting-edge research which can and will save the lives
of our citizens.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 810 and support stem cell
research, and I implore the President to reconsider his pledge to veto
this crucial legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, S. 3504.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.
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