Washington, D.C.- U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today made the following statement on the Senate floor regarding Stem Cell Research legislation:

Mr. McCAIN.  “Mr. President, I will vote in support of the two bills under consideration today, S. 5 and S. 30, which would provide a framework for federal support of stem cell research under strict guidelines and ethical criteria.  I supported similar legislative proposals during the last Congress.

“Mr. President, stem cell research has the potential to give us a better understanding of deadly diseases and spinal cord injuries affecting millions of Americans.  One day, these efforts may lead to cures and treatments for these devastating diseases and conditions.  At the same time, it is important and right to recognize the ethical and moral concerns have been raised by individuals inside and outside of the medical research community regarding one particular type of stem cell research that involves embryonic stem cells.  I believe that these two bills will provide an appropriate framework for moving stem cell research forward in a responsible way.

“We must create a framework for federal support of stem cell research now, since research involving embryonic stem cells is also proceeding outside the United States.  While we have had a robust and needed debate on the ethical and moral concerns of embryonic stem cell research, as reflected by the President’s Commission on Bioethics, the same cannot always be said of private industry and scientific research communities in other parts of the world.  I am deeply concerned where unregulated research may lead us if researchers are left without ethical and moral guidance and stringent regulations and oversight.

“It does not have to be that way.  One bill before us today, S. 5, is similar to H.R. 810, a bill that I supported and that passed the Senate on July 18, 2006.  S. 5 will provide the same strict ethical guidelines for stem cell research that the Senate supported last year.  This bill would authorize federal support for embryonic stem cell research, but limits appropriately that support to scientists who use embryos originally created for reproductive purposes, and now frozen or slated for destruction by in vitro fertilization clinics.  Before there is even consideration of whether to donate unused embryos for research, the legislation would require that the patient who is the source of the embryos be consulted and a determination be made that these embryos would otherwise be discarded, and would never have been implanted in the patient or another woman. 

“S. 5 also provides support for alternative stem cell research methods by offering increased federal funding and support for research that does not involve the use of human embryos.  Such alternative research was unanimously supported in the Senate last July and deserves our full support again today.   Researchers believe that this type of stem cell research hold tremendous potential and I strongly support their efforts.  Millions of Americans affected by many diseases and conditions stand to benefit from the future cures provided by this type of research.