Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) voted today for legislation to expand federally funded stem cell research.
The House passed S. 5, The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 with bipartisan support. The Senate also approved the bill, which the President has pledged to veto.
“I have voted numerous times to expand stem cell research because it would provide hope for millions of Americans with currently incurable diseases,” said Etheridge. “Without this research, we run the risk of missing an historic opportunity to improve the lives of North Carolinians, Americans and people around the world.”
S. 5 directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to fund stem cell research. It also requires the Secretary to provide ethics guidelines and safeguards for the research. The House passed similar legislation in January, but S. 5 also provides funding for non-embryonic stem cell research.
Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into virtually any cell in the body and may have the potential to treat medical conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer.
In August of 2000 the National Institute of Health published ethically sound guidelines governing federal funding of stem cell research. On August 9, 2002, the Bush Administration issued its own guidelines for embryonic stem cell research, which allow federal funds to be used for research on 64 already existing stem cell lines only. The bill would override the Administration’s guidelines.
Congress passed similar legislation in the 109th session to expand stem cell research but the President vetoed it.