[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 25 (Monday, June 25, 2007)]
[Pages 831-833]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Returning Without Approval to the Senate the ``Stem Cell 
Research Enhancement Act of 2007''

June 20, 2007

    Welcome. I'm glad you're here. America is a nation that leads the 
world in science and technology. Our innovative spirit is making 
possible incredible advances in medicine that could save lives and cure 
diseases. America is also a nation founded on the principle that all 
human life is sacred, and our conscience calls us to pursue the 
possibilities of science in a manner that respects human dignity and 
upholds our moral values.
    I appreciate the fact that we're joined by a lot of folks who share 
the deep desire to advance science and, at the same time, uphold our 
moral values. I appreciate the fact that Mike Leavitt is here, Secretary 
of the Department of Health and Human Services. I want to thank the 
Members of the United States Congress and Senate who have joined us. I 
thank you for taking your time to be here on this important announcement 
today.
    I'm joined on stage by two good docs, really smart, capable people: 
Dr. Bill Hurlbut, professor of Stanford University Medical Center; Dr. 
Don Landry, professor at Columbia University Department of Medicine--
actually, he's the chairman of the department. The reason they're here 
is, these are brilliant biologists who are seeking new ways to develop 
stem cell lines without violating human life. And these are smart folks, 
and I cannot thank them enough for coming to the Oval Office to share 
with me their wisdom and their vision.
    I'm also up here with Carol Franz. She has whipped cancer twice by 
using adult stem cells. In other words, adult stem cells have saved her 
life. She's a determined woman who believes strongly that there are 
different alternatives available to use stem cells other than those 
which are created as the result of destruction of human life.
    And finally, I'm up here with the McNamara family; Kaitlyne is with 
us. I'm going to talk about her in a second.
    I do want to thank the other stem cell patients and researchers and 
advocates who are here with us today. If you're not in any of

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those categories, you're welcome too. [Laughter]
    In 2001, I announced a policy to advance stem cell research in a way 
that is ambitious, ethical, and effective. I became the first President 
to make Federal funds available for embryonic stem cell research, and my 
policy did this in ways that would not encourage the destruction of 
embryos. Since then, my administration has made more than $130 million 
available for research on stem cell lines derived from embryos that had 
already been destroyed. We've provided more than $3 billion for research 
on all forms of stem cells, including those from adult and other 
nonembryonic sources. This careful approach is producing results. It has 
contributed to proven therapeutic treatments in thousands of patients 
with many different diseases. It's opening the prospect of new 
discoveries that could transform lives.
    Congress has sent me a bill that would overturn this policy. If this 
legislation became law, it would compel American taxpayers--for the 
first time in our history--to support the deliberate destruction of 
human embryos. I made it clear to Congress and to the American people 
that I will not allow our Nation to cross this moral line. Last year, 
Congress passed a similar bill. I kept my promise by vetoing it. And 
today I'm keeping my word again: I am vetoing the bill that Congress has 
sent.
    Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not 
ethical, and it is not the only option before us. We're already seeing 
remarkable advances in the science and therapeutic uses of stem cells 
drawn from adults and children and the blood from umbilical cords--with 
no harm to the donor. Researchers value embryonic stem cells because 
they are pluripotent, which means that they have the potential to 
develop into nearly all the cell types and tissues in the body. 
Researchers are now developing promising new techniques that offer the 
potential to produce pluripotent stem cells without having to destroy 
human life.
    For example, several new studies released earlier this month showed 
the potential of reprogramming adult cells, such as skin cells, to make 
them function like embryonic stem cells. It's exciting new research 
taking place in the United States of America. Scientists from all over 
the country hailed this as an important breakthrough. And I'm pleased to 
report to you that my administration and the NIH helped fund this 
exciting work. The taxpayers' dollars are going to new kinds of 
therapies, new kinds of science, new kinds of work that do not cross a 
moral and ethical line.
    A few months earlier, scientists discovered that cells extracted 
from amniotic fluid and placentas could also provide stem cells that 
seem to do what embryonic cells can. Still other researchers are 
investigating how to combine reprogramming and other innovative 
techniques to produce stem cells with the abilities of embryonic stem 
cells, without creating or destroying embryos. There's a lot of 
interesting work going on that's ethical and moral. Scientists are 
exploring ways to collect stem cells in the same manner that doctors now 
rescue organs from patients who have died.
    With us today are patients who are benefiting from ethical stem cell 
research, including Kaitlyne McNamara. Kaitlyne was born with spina 
bifida, a disease that damaged her bladder. None of the treatments her 
doctor tried had worked; she was in danger of kidney failure. Then her 
doctors took a piece of her bladder, isolated the healthy stem cells, 
and used them to grow a new bladder in a laboratory, which they then 
transplanted into her. And here she stands, healthy. Scientific advances 
like this one are important and should give us hope that there's a 
better way forward than scientific advances that require the destruction 
of a human life.
    The researchers pursuing these kinds of ethically responsible 
advances deserve our support, and there is legislation in Congress to 
give them that support. Recently, the United States Senate passed a bill 
sponsored by Norm Coleman and others that would authorize additional 
Federal funding for alternative stem cell research. The bill was 
approved with the backing of 70 United States Senators. The House 
leaders need to pass similar legislation that would authorize additional 
funds for ethical stem cell research. That would be an important 
advancement. It would be an important statement, because

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we can't lose the opportunity to conduct research that would give hope 
to those suffering from terrible diseases and help this country move 
beyond the controversies over embryo destruction.
    We have a good chance to put aside all the politics and focus on a 
good piece of legislation that advances science and doesn't cross an 
ethical line. Norm, I want to thank you and Johnny Isakson for 
sponsoring that piece of legislation.
    In the meantime, my administration is taking immediate action to 
increase our support for researchers in their vital work. Earlier today, 
I issued an Executive order to strengthen our Nation's commitment to 
research on pluripotent stem cells. This order takes a number of 
important steps. The order directs the Department of Health and Human 
Services and the NIH to ensure that any human pluripotent stem cell 
lines produced in ways that do not create, destroy, or harm human 
embryos will be eligible for Federal funding.
    The order expands the NIH Embryonic Stem Cell registry to include 
all types of ethically produced human pluripotent stem cells. The order 
renames the registry--calls it this, the Pluripotent Stem Cell 
Registry--so it reflects what stem cells can do, instead of where they 
come from. The order invites scientists to work with the NIH so we can 
add new, ethically derived stem cell lines to the list of those eligible 
for Federal funding. I direct Secretary Leavitt to conduct an assessment 
of what resources will be necessary to support this important new 
research.
    This science, which does not cross ethical lines, requires money. I 
believe it is a good use of taxpayers' money to spend money on this kind 
of science and research. And Michael is going to expedite it, that's 
what that means--it's a fancy paragraph for saying he's going to get it 
done. [Laughter]
    With these steps, we'll encourage scientists to expand the frontiers 
of stem cell research. We want to encourage science. We want to say, we 
stand on your side in an ethically responsible way. Scientists have 
recently shown they have the ingenuity and skill to pursue the potential 
benefits of pluripotent stem cell research. Here's two of them right 
here. That's why they're standing here; they have showed what's 
possible. I have confidence in their abilities to continue to develop 
new techniques. With our expanded support of nondestructive research 
methods, we'll make it more likely that these exciting advances continue 
to unfold.
    Technical innovation in this difficult area is opening up new 
possibilities for progress without conflict or ethical controversy. So I 
invite policymakers and scientists to come together to speed our Nation 
toward the destination we all seek, where medical problems can be solved 
without compromising either the high aims of science or the sanctity of 
human life.
    Thank you all for coming. May God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 2:39 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to S. 5; S. 30; and Executive Order 
13435.