Stem cell vote to be delayed in Senate

By Tom Strode - Oct 31, 2005

There apparently will be no Senate vote this year on legislation that would liberalize President Bush’s policy barring federal funds for stem cell research that destroys embryos.

Sen. Arlen Specter, R.-Pa., sponsor of a bill to permit grants for research on embryos stored at in vitro fertilization clinics, announced Oct. 21 Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist had promised to bring the measure up early in 2006. The agreement avoided a showdown that may have prevented passage of a spending bill.

After Frist endorsed in July the bill seeking to liberalize the President’s rule, it appeared the Senate would vote shortly after it returned in September from a five-week recess. Specter has said he has enough votes to pass the bill in the Senate. The House of Representatives passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, H.R. 810, in May.

Bush, whose policy allows funding for research only on embryonic stem cell lines already in existence prior to the 2001 announcement of that rule, has pledged to veto the bill if it reaches his desk. Specter has said he thinks he will be able to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto, but an override appears unlikely in the House.

At this point, the extraction of stem cells from an embryo, normally in the first week of life, requires the tiny human being’s destruction.

Embryonic stem cell research has failed to produce any successful therapies in human beings and has been plagued by the development of tumors in lab animals. Meanwhile, research on stem cells from non-embryonic sources has produced treatments for at least 65 ailments, according to Do No Harm, a coalition promoting ethics in research. These include spinal cord injuries, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and sickle cell anemia.

Many opponents of embryonic stem cell research contend the House-approved bill providing funds only for research on leftover IVF embryos is the first step in a path that will lead to the cloning of embryos for research purposes.

Stem cells are the body’s master cells that can develop into other cells and tissues, providing hope for the treatment of numerous afflictions. In addition to being extracted from embryos, the cells may be found in such non-embryonic sources as bone marrow, fat and placentas, as well as umbilical cord blood.

Further Learning

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