Davis Votes for Ethical Research in Treatment of Diseases May 26 , 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis voted this week for legislation that facilitates the use of umbilical-cord-blood stem cells in biomedical research and in the treatment of disease. The House approved the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 by a majority vote of 431-1.

"I strongly support the use of cord-blood stem cells for the treatment of thousands of patients suffering from many different life threatening diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, with hopes of reversing nerve damage in paraplegics as well" said Davis.

The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 increases publicly available cord-blood stem cells by enabling the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with cord-blood banks to assist them in collecting and maintaining 150,000 cord-blood stem cell units. Currently, there is $19 million in federal funds to implement the Cord Blood Cell Bank program. Congress will evaluate future spending requirements for these activities. Furthermore, this legislation facilitates research into the potential of cord-blood stem cells to advance regenerative medicine in an ethical way.