[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9198]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    EXPANSION OF STEM CELL RESEARCH

  (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, it has been 1 year since the historic 
bipartisan achievement in the House of Representatives when we voted 
overwhelmingly to support stem cell research. Yet Americans and others 
around the world have continued to suffer from devastating illnesses 
and disabilities while scientific progress has been limited at home due 
to restrictive policies. Other nations with more progressive policies 
have not let the opportunities slip by.
  Let us look at lung disease as one example. In the past year, an 
estimated 342,000 Americans have died of lung disease; yet researchers 
in London have coaxed embryonic stem cells to change into specialized 
lung cells, highlighting the potential for embryonic stem cells to be 
used in regenerative medicine.
  All this while the United States Senate has failed to hold a vote on 
H.R. 810 and the President has failed to offer support for the 
advancement of this science, which holds tremendous potential not only 
for lung disease but Parkinson's disease, ALS, and even spinal cord 
injuries and so many others.
  Mr. Speaker, the suffering faced by so many Americans dealing with 
disease and chronic conditions is shameful in the face of such 
potential treatments and cures. I urge all my colleagues in the House 
to encourage our friends in the Senate to act swiftly to pass the Stem 
Cell Research Enhancement Act.

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