[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 98 (Monday, July 24, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   STEM CELL RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2005--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE 
          PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 109-127)

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked a true tragedy for the 
medical history of this country. For the first time in 5 years, this 
President chose to veto a bill that has the potential to save millions 
of lives and impact millions more.
  This veto will go down in history as a monumental step backward for 
medical research and a profound and significant disappointment for 
victims and their families. Hope was just a signature away and to 
millions of people in this country, this President could have become a 
hero simply by signing H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement 
Act, into law. Instead, he chose to veto this bill and stall the 
advancement of science.
  In contrast, by signing S. 3504, the President gave cover to 
opponents of lifesaving science. I would hope that this President would 
give more credit to the American public. S. 3504 is a useless bill that 
does nothing for victims of ravaging diseases and instead rubs salt in 
the wound.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand here with many of my colleagues, pleading with 
the President to listen to 72 percent of Americans, the overwhelming 
majority of scientists, researchers, and even Nobel laureates who all 
recognize the promise that embryonic stem cell research holds.
  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. To be clear, these are embryos that were extracted for in vitro 
fertilization. Most of them will be discarded. If the President had 
signed H.R. 810, they would have instead been used to save human lives. 
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.
  Mr. Speaker, as a founder and current co-chair of the Working Group 
on Parkinson's Disease and as someone who lost my father 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. I cannot be more 
clear: This bill is about saving lives and preventing devastating 
diseases from ravaging and ending people's lives.
  In vetoing this legislation, this President has stalled science, 
ended hope, and reversed progress.
  I stand with a bipartisan majority of Congress to express my severe 
disappointment with the President's decision to veto this lifesaving 
legislation.

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