US House backs broader embryonic stem cell research
Source: Reuters
(Adds quotes, details, background) By Will Dunham WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The new Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to lift President George W. Bush's restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. But the vote of 253-174, largely along party lines, fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a promised presidential veto. The measure passed after an emotional debate in which supporters touted the research as the best hope for potential cures for ailments such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injuries. Opponents condemned it as unethical and immoral. Bush restricted funding for the research in August 2001. Bush, whose support base includes conservative Christian voters who tend to oppose the use of stem cells taken from human embryos, in July used the only veto of his presidency to date to reject an identical measure. The White House reiterated Bush's intention to use his veto power, saying American taxpayers should not pay for research involving the intentional destruction of human embryos. The bill is part of a six-measure package that House Democrats vowed to vote on during their "first 100 legislative hours" after winning control of Congress from Bush's Republicans in November elections. Already this week, the House passed two other bills in the Democrats' legislative package, one to bolster U.S. security and the other to raise the federal minimum wage. The stem cell bill now goes to the Senate, where supporters believe it will pass with a veto-proof two-thirds majority. The debate can transcend party politics, with some anti-abortion Republicans strongly supporting the research. Thirty-seven Republicans backed the bill on Thursday, while 16 Democrats opposed it. SANCTITY OF LIFE "I believe this legislation does not seek to destroy life," said House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland. "It seeks to preserve and protect life," he said. "We have a moral obligation to provide our scientific community with the tools it needs to save lives." Many scientists view embryonic stem cells as the potential raw material for a new era of regenerative medicine, hoping to harness the unique qualities of the cells to repair damaged tissue. Such therapies are seen as years in the future. Stem cells are a kind of master cell for the body, capable of growing into various tissue and cell types. Those taken from days-old embryos are especially malleable but "adult" stem cells found in babies and adults also have shown promise. Rep. Christopher Smith, a New Jersey Republican, favors research on stem cells not taken from embryos but opposes the current measure. "Where will this all take us? If this bill were to be passed and signed into law, we would see the demise -- the destruction -- over time ... of millions of embryos," he said. There is no U.S. law against human embryonic stem cell research. Bush's 2001 policy limited federal funding to research on the human embryonic stem cell colonies, or lines, that existed at the time. Some scientists say many of those roughly 20 lines are deteriorating, contaminated or were developed through obsolete methods, making them inadequate to determine the potential therapeutic value of embryonic stem cells. The bill would allow federal funding on research involving stem cell lines derived from embryos created at fertility clinics that would otherwise be thrown away because they are not needed to implant in a woman to make a baby. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Mike Castle, a Delaware Republican, and Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat. Last year, the House passed the bill 235-193 before Bush's veto.
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