WASHINGTON – U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Michael Castle (R-DE), chief architects of bipartisan legislation expanding stem cell research, today released the following joint statement in response to the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) final guidelines on federal funding of stem cell research, including embryonic stem cell research.  The guidelines are a requirement of the March 9th Executive Order issued by President Barack Obama, which overturned restrictions placed on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research by former President George W. Bush. 

“We applaud the National Institutes of Health for releasing final guidelines on stem cell research today, as called for in President Barack Obama’s Executive Order on March 9, 2009. Since 2001, we have been working to strengthen federal support for scientific research, including embryonic stem cell research, which potentially holds so much promise for the millions of Americans who are living with debilitating diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, and spinal cord injury.

“We are pleased to see that the NIH has taken into consideration the comments of 139 Members of Congress, including the need to determine eligibility of currently existing stem cell lines for federal funding, as well as the need for NIH to maintain a registry of eligible stem cell lines.  The guidelines will enable researchers to build upon current research and facilitate further advancements.  Additionally, we support the NIH’s commitment to continuously updating the guidelines as scientifically warranted.
                                                               
“We look forward to fulfilling President Obama’s call on Congress to ‘provide further support for this research.’  We remain committed to formulating a bipartisan, bicameral consensus and sending complimentary legislation to the President, which will promote all ethical forms of stem cell research.”

On May 27th, U.S. Reps. DeGette and Castle led a bipartisan group of 139 Members of Congress in submitting comments on the draft guidelines for human stem cell research.