[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 5, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H1225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH

  (Ms. DeGETTE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, embryonic stem cell research has the 
potential to cure diabetes, Parkinson's, paralysis, and so many other 
diseases and injuries. Over the past few months, we've seen some 
amazing new discoveries from adult stem cells and others from embryonic 
stem cells.
  Some have claimed that the recent discoveries using induced 
pluripotent cells means that we no longer need to continue embryonic 
stem cell research. I disagree and so does the scientific community.
  When we develop new tools, we don't throw out the old ones. Why 
should it be different when it comes to medical research? We need to 
support cell-based research in all types of venues. We need to find out 
what will not just be best for scientific advances but what will help 
with medical advances as well.
  It's time that we develop a new framework for considering all forms 
of ethical stem cell research. We need to continue embryonic stem cell 
research as well as all other ethical forms of regenerative medicine 
research. And we need to have a central mechanism for ethics control 
over all of this research.

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