Stem Cell Research

Recently, the Senate voted on three bills regarding stem cell research. The bills were: S. 3504, the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006, introduced by Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania). This bill would make it illegal to perform research on embryos from "fetal farms." Fetal farms are where human embryos are gestated in a non-human uterus or from human pregnancies created specifically for the purpose of research. I voted for this bill and it passed with a vote of 100-0. It will now be passed to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

S. 2754, the Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act, also introduced by Senator Santorum. This measure would develop techniques for the isolation, derivation, production, or testing of stem cells that are capable of producing almost all cell types but are not derived from a human embryo. I voted for this bill and it also passed with a vote of 100-0. Like S. 3504, this bill will be sent to the House of Representatives for further consideration.

The final bill voted on was H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which passed the House of Representatives in May of 2005. This measure would allow federal funding for research on embryonic stem cell lines, regardless of the date on which the stem cell line was created. I voted against this bill but it did pass with a vote of 63-37. H.R. 810 was vetoed by President Bush. It will be sent back to the House and the Senate and will require a two-thirds majority in both houses to override the veto.

I have concerns with any legislation that would federally fund the destruction of embryos for research. We don�t have to choose between science and ethics with the vast amounts of promising results coming from adult and alternative stem cell research. One source of stem cells is umbilical cord blood, also called "placental blood," which is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth and after the cord is cut. The ability of cord blood stem cells to differentiate, or change into other types of cells in the body, is a new discovery that holds significant promise for improving the treatment of some of the most common diseases such as heart disease, stroke and Alzheimer's. Cord-blood stem cells are already used in the treatment of more than 60 different diseases, including leukemia, Fanconi anemia, sickle cell disease and thalassemia. In addition, research on adult stem cells has recently generated a great deal of excitement. Scientists have found adult stem cells in many more tissues than they once thought possible. Certain types of adult stem cells seem to have the ability to differentiate into a number of different cell types. If this differentiation of adult stem cells can be controlled in the laboratory, these cells may become the basis of therapies for many serious common diseases. Aside from ethics, stem cells drawn from adults, umbilical cord blood and others with no harm to the donors are already used in human treatments, and currently show more real potential for more diverse applications than those cells derived from embryos. I support these valuable additions to the ongoing stem cell research being conducted by both public and private entities.

The debate over stem cell research is important and necessary. I understand the legitimate concerns raised by both proponents and opponents of embryonic stem cell research.

Please be assured I will continue to carefully balance the need for productive medical research as well as the rights of the unborn.