Washington, DC (July 19, 2006) – Today, Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) joined colleagues from both sides of the aisle to bring hope to millions of American families by voting to override President George W. Bush’s veto of H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.
On May 24, 2005, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 810 by a vote of 238 to 194, with 187 Democrats, 50 Republicans, and 1 Independent voting “yes.” Yesterday, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 63 to 37 – with 44 Democrats, 18 Republicans, and 1 Independent voting “yes.” Today, the President vetoed the legislation, which according to a recent poll conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation, is supported by 72 percent of Americans.
“Embryonic stem cell research has the potential to fight disease and possibly find cures for diseases affecting tens of millions of Americans,” said Hinojosa. “Despite monumental support for this research and the promise it holds, the President chose to use his first veto while in office to effectively shut the door on possible treatments for Americans living with Parkinson’s disease, ALS, diabetes, spinal cord injury, cancer, and many other debilitating diseases. Our country’s leading scientists, biomedical researchers, patient advocacy groups, and health organizations strongly support this bill. It is time that Congress stands with them and move in a new direction where potential cures for deadly diseases come before ideology.”
H.R. 810 will expand current federal policy regarding stem cell research – which restricts federally funded research on embryonic stem cell lines created before August 9, 2001 – to include stem cell lines, which would otherwise be discarded from in-vitro fertilization clinics, for federally funded research regardless of the date on which they were derived.
Furthermore, the bill allows federal funding of embryonic stem cell research only if the following requirements have been met: 1) Embryos used to derive stem cells were originally created for fertility treatment purposes and are in excess of clinical need. 2) The individuals seeking fertility treatments for whom the embryos were created have determined that the embryos “would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded.” 3) The individuals seeking fertility treatments must have “donated the embryos with written informed consent and without receiving any financial or other inducements to make the donation.”
“Tens of thousands of Texans could be saved from the treatments found by this research: the mothers living with cancer, the fathers living with Parkinson’s, the one in three children estimated to develop diabetes after the year 2000,” continued Hinojosa. “If we are to continue our nation’s great history of combating diseases, it is necessary to expand the federal guidelines for embryonic stem cell research in a responsible manner. We must support science that holds the promise of treatment and possibly cures.”