[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 95 (Wednesday, July 19, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ALTERNATIVE PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL THERAPIES ENHANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 18, 2006

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition of S. 2754, the 
Alternative Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. I think we can all 
agree that stem-cell research holds tremendous promise for advances in 
health care for all Americans. Stem-cell research may one day lead to 
treatments for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, 
multiple sclerosis, spinal-cord injuries, Lou Gehrig's disease, 
strokes, severe bums and many more diseases and injuries.
  However, Mr. Speaker, five years ago, the President made a self-
serving and shortsighted decision to limit federally funded embryonic 
stem-cell research to stem-cell lines that already existed. At that 
time, on August 9, 2001, the President promised 78 stem-cell lines 
would be available to federal researchers, yet five years later, there 
are at most, only 22 lines available. Even worse, Mr. Speaker, many of 
these lines are contaminated with animal cells that make them unusable 
for human-therapeutic study.
  So, Mr. Speaker, here we are half a decade later, and we are 
considering S. 2754 and another Republican bill, S. 3504, the Fetus 
Farming Prohibition Act. Let there be no mistake, Mr. Speaker, these 
proposals are nothing but a smoke screen; they were introduced to give 
political cover to Republican members who didn't vote for the embryonic 
stem-cell bill. I have no problem with measures that would encourage 
development of stem-cell lines from nonembryonic methods and prohibit 
embryo implantation for the purpose of deriving stem-cell lines. 
However, the real issue here is the President's policy that has 
prohibited federal funds for embryonic stem-cell research.
  Let me be clear, neither of these Republican-sham bills is in any way 
a viable alternative to the measure the House passed last year, H.R. 
810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. That legislation would 
allow federal funding for research on embryonic stem-cell lines 
regardless of the date on which they were derived. Researchers and 
scientists would be eligible to utilize their federal funds for 
research on a new stem-cell line as long as their work met the strict 
ethical guidelines contained in the bill. Those rules restrict stem-
cell lines to embryos that were created originally for fertility 
purposes, and that are no longer needed. This legislation will take the 
President's political shackles off our researchers and scientists and 
allow them to expand the number of stem-cell lines that are eligible 
for federally funded research.
  The Senate has finally acted, passing H.R. 810, the Stem Cell 
Research Enhancement Act, this afternoon. So, there is now, finally, a 
historic opportunity to fund research that holds incredible promise, 
that could lead to incredible medical breakthroughs. So, what does the 
President do? He pledges yet again to veto embryonic stem-cell research 
legislation.
  How out of touch can he be? Mr. Speaker, the President has promised 
to veto hope; hope for the millions of Americans who have cancer or Lou 
Gehrig's disease or diabetes or Parkinson's disease. He has promised to 
veto hope for victims of cancer and Alzheimer's disease. I am shocked 
but not surprised that President Bush has said that his very first veto 
will be to block this legislation. As usual, President Bush and his 
rightwing Republican allies are way out on the political margins. So, 
if you're counting votes Mr. President, mine will be to override. My 
vote will be for all those Americans who want us to put their needs 
first, and political paybacks, second. I will vote to override the 
President's shameful veto when the House again takes up H.R. 810, and I 
urge all my colleagues to vote to override the President's veto. This 
vote is the key vote showing whether Congress is genuinely committed to 
effective federally funded embryonic stem-cell research, and most of 
all, restoring hope to millions of sick Americans.

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