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US Senate
Prepares to Challenge Bush on Stem Cell Research
Monday,
09 April 2007
The US Senate is planning a fresh policy
challenge to President Bush this week, this time on a popular domestic issue.
On Tuesday, the Senate will begin debate on legislation that would allow
federal funding of expanded embryonic stem cell research. Bush
vetoed a similar bill last year, and he has vowed to nullify the current
version as well.
Last year, a House override attempt fell 51 votes short of the two-thirds
majority needed. The Senate, which had passed the bill by 63-37, took no
override vote.
Following their gains in the 2006 elections, Senate Democrats may now have
enough votes to override a new Bush veto — although that isn’t certain. But
even if they do, that wouldn’t get the measure enacted.
Although the Democratic-controlled House passed this year’s stem cell bill
by a wider margin than last year’s measure drew, the majority, the 253-174
tally still fell well short of the two-thirds needed for a veto override.
The Senate will consider two bills, one virtually identical to a bill
vetoed by Pres. Bush last year that would have expanded and encouraged
federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research.
The other is a compromise measure worked out by Republicans Sen. Johnny
Isakson of Georgia and Norm Coleman of Minnesota. It would encourage stem cell research on embryos that have
naturally lost the ability to develop into foetuses, such as those that
have died "naturally" during fertility treatments.
The compromise bill also would support the creation of a bank of stem cells
taken from amniotic fluid and placentas — two recently discovered potential
sources.
Hyperlinks:
S.5: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.00005
S.30: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.00030
L.
Ed.
CellNEWS
2007-04-09
Will
US Congress Pass Stem Cell Legislation this Time?
Sunday,
11 March 2007
The US Senate is soon expected to consider the Stem Cell Research Enhancement
Act of 2007, known as S.5. The House of Representatives already passed H.R.
3, its version of the bill, by a vote of 253 to 174. Both bills are
identical to the stem cell research
bill that passed both the House and Senate last year but
was vetoed by Pres. Bush.
The Senate bill could still be amended in the process up to a vote. Last
year, the Senate approved this legislation by a vote of 63 to 37. As a
result of last November’s midterm elections, the bill’s Senate supporters
now number 66, or just one vote short of a 2/3 “veto-proof” majority of 67.
There are, in the new Senate, seven key Senators that analysts believe may
be receptive to arguments and may be willing to consider changing their
position. These seven “swing vote” Senators previously voted against the
stem cell bill.
However, since only one more Senator needs to support the bill to
reach the 67-vote “veto-proof” goal, and if all of the stem cell
legislation supporters hold firm, there is a good chance that the Stem cell
bill will survive this time.
Therefore, the next few days and weeks an intense lobbying will take place
towards these few Senators that might change their vote this time.
L.
Ed.
CellNEWS
2007-03-11
Stem Cell Proposal Reintroduced
in US Senate
Friday, March
09, 2007
US Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) yesterday
reintroduced legislation to prohibit the cloning of a human being, while ensuring
that promising medical research is allowed to continue.
The Human Cloning Ban and Stem Cell Protection Act of 2007 would allow embryonic
stem cell research – known as somatic cell nuclear transplantation – to proceed
under strict oversight from the federal government. However, the bill would
draw a distinct line between this promising research and human reproductive
cloning, which it bans outright.
The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Arlen
Specter (R-Pa.), and Tom Harkin
(D-Iowa).
“American scientists have been pioneers
in all major branches of medical research,” Senator Hatch said.
“If we don’t act quickly, the United States
may lose the opportunity to lead the world with stem cells – and millions will
suffer if we hesitate. But with the great power of stem cell research, we must
accept the great responsibility to set ethical guidelines and prohibit research
that no one wants to see.”
“It is time to provide some certainty
and sanity in our national policy. We must prohibit human reproductive cloning.
It is unethical and should not be allowed,” Senator Feinstein said.
“At the same time, we must unleash our
scientists to develop cures for catastrophic diseases that impact millions.”
Sixteen states have passed laws pertaining to human cloning, with sometimes
contradictory results:
§
13 of these states prohibit
reproductive cloning (Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South
Dakota and Virginia).
§
Five states prohibit biomedical
research like somatic cell nuclear transfer (Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, North
Dakota and South Dakota).
§
Six states explicitly permit
somatic cell nuclear transfer (New Jersey, California, Missouri, Connecticut,
Massachusetts and Iowa).
“We must standardize these policies under
a common set of ethical guidelines,” Senator Feinstein said.
“This patchwork of laws will result only
in confusion, forbidding some researchers from conducting lifesaving research,
while their colleagues in a neighbouring state receive state funding to do the
same work.”
In his introductory statement in the Senate, Sen. Hatch said:
“Many scientists believe that we are on
the verge of a new revolution in medicine created by human stem cells. The reason
stem cells are important to medicine is that many organs cannot make a sufficient
number of new cells to replace damaged or lost ones. Stem cells are the only
way currently known that has the potential to replace damaged cells in organs
such as the pancreas, kidney, heart, brain, and spinal cord.
Two common diseases may be treatable by stem cells sooner rather than later.
Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States Diabetes results
when pancreatic cells cannot create enough insulin which is needed for the body
to use glucose. Human embryonic stem cells can now be coaxed into differentiating
into functioning insulin-producing cells and scientists at the NIH have concluded
that creation of cells that could be transplantable may soon be possible.
Heart failure is one of the commonest chronic conditions of the elderly. The
heart fails when it does not have enough functioning heart muscle. Clinical
trials of injection of stem cells into failing hearts to create new muscle tissue
are going on around the world as we speak.
And treatment of other common diseases with stem cells is on the horizon. In
December of 1999 a group of investigators at Washington University School of
Medicine implanted embryonic stem cells in rats with spinal cord injuries. The
stem cells became nerve cells and the rats walked.
………….
These few examples of early stage research presage advances that we could only
dream of before science knew of the possibilities of stem cells.
But with the promise of stem cells comes responsibility. Scientists are now
working with stem cells created by a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer.
In this laboratory procedure, the DNA from the cell of one adult is inserted
into an empty egg that has been donated from another adult. The result, if the
science develops further, is a collection of stem cells that could become a
kidney or liver that is identical to a missing or diseased organ of the donor
of the DNA. However, this same collection of stem cells – if implanted into
a woman’s uterus – could possibly become a human being identical to the donor
of the DNA.
Let me be absolutely clear: I support the use of such stem cells to treat human
disease but abhor the possibility of their use for human cloning.
Our bill prohibits human reproductive cloning and imposes criminal penalties
for attempting to do so. It provides a firm ethical framework for somatic cell
nuclear transfer for therapeutic purposes and establishes stiff civil penalties
for not following them.
It specifies that research in somatic cell nuclear transfer must comply with
NIH regulations.
It prohibits the use of fertilized eggs for somatic cell nuclear transfer.
It limits maintenance of eggs receiving somatic cell nuclear material to 14
days.
It specifies that the egg must be voluntarily donated and not purchased.
It prohibits purchase or sale of eggs to which DNA has been transferred
It is our responsibility to promote stem cell research to treat human diseases.
It is equally our responsibility to be certain that such research is conducted
in accordance with the best ethical standards and that the technology can never
be used to clone a human being in the United States.”
Source:
US Senate.
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