FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2004
Contact: Josh Freed
(202) 225-4431

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a written response to a letter from U.S. Representatives Mike Castle (R-DE) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) released today, National Institutes of Health Director Elias Zerhouni acknowledged the scientific benefit of expanding the policy.

Director Zerhouni responded to an April 28 letter by Reps. Castle and DeGette and signed by 205 additional Members of Congress urging the White House to expand the current federal embryonic stem cell research policy. While the Administration’s response is four pages, Dr. Zherhouni provides real opportunity for further discussion and a possible policy change, working within the ethical framework laid out by the Administration:

“And although it is fair to say that from a purely scientific perspective more cell lines may well speed some areas of human embryonic stem cell research, the President's position is still predicated on his belief that taxpayer funds should not 'sanction or encourage further destruction of human embryos that have at least the potential for life.”
“Dr. Zerhouni’s letter is not only responsive to all of the questions we lay out, it importantly acknowledges that more embryonic stem cell lines will accelerate scientific discovery and hopefully lead to cures and treatments of our most chronic diseases sooner, rather than later. The bipartisan momentum in the both the House and Senate is evidence that an expansion of this policy would be supported by a majority of Members of Congress," Rep. Castle said.

“The Administration’s recognition that expanding the number of embryonic stem cell lines will benefit research marks an important step toward revising the government’s policy. This belief is echoed by the diverse coalition of political leaders who have urged the President to change his stem cell policy,” said Rep. DeGette. “Millions of Americans with diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and spinal chord injuries, as well as their families, recognize the promise stem cell research holds for cures to their diseases and injuries. But to this point, research has progressed too slowly because of restricted federal involvement. I hope that Dr. Zerhouni’s letter signals a willingness by the White House to work with us to craft a policy in which the federal government will help dramatically accelerate stem cell research, not restrict it.”

"While I understand President Bush has ethical and moral concerns, I do believe we can work within his framework to address those concerns while at the same time push the science forward. I am going to continue to talk with the Administration and see if there is a way to craft a meaningful change that is acceptable to all sides,” said Rep. Castle. “This science is too important to millions of American lives to stop here and I am pleased the Administration has acknowledged this. The federal government must be leading in this area of biomedical research in order to truly catapult the science forward."

Reps. Castle and DeGette are seeking a meeting with senior White House officials to discuss stem cell policy before Memorial Day.

Read the White House letter. (PDF requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
 

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