After years of debate on the issue, the House this week approved two bills that would expand the field of stem cell research in the United States.
On May 24, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act (H.R. 2520) was approved, 431-1. Sponsored by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ), the measure would authorize $15 million through FY2010 for a cord blood stem cell inventory to collect and maintain 150,000 units of blood obtained from umbilical cords. The blood could be made available for transplantation or peer-reviewed clinical research. The bill also would authorize $28 million in FY2006 and $32 million through FY2010 to expand the National Bone Marrow Registry to include information on cord blood transplants. In addition, the registry would be renamed the “C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program.” Finally, H.R. 2520 would establish a stem cell therapeutic outcomes database to “conduct an ongoing evaluation of the scientific and clinical status of transplantation involving recipients of bone marrow from biologically unrelated donors and recipients of a stem cell therapeutics product.”
Later the same day, the House approved, 238-194, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 810). Sponsored by Reps. Mike Castle (R-DE) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), the measure would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct and support human embryonic stem cell research. Under the bill, embryonic stem cells could be used for research if they met the following conditions:
|
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), who was recently elected to replace her husband in the House after his death in January, spoke in support of both bills during consideration of H.R. 2520: “Stem cell research is about the idea of hope and miracles, a hope which has become quite personal for me. As you know, my husband Bob, who worked with all of you for many years, suffered from a rare bone marrow disorder. I saw what this disease did to him. I saw his life cut short. And it is my hope that by expanding stem cell research, other families will have more than just a hope for a cure for this disease, as well as many, many others. But to be effective, hope and optimism need to be based on a possibility. This is what we are talking about today, whether or not this country will close the door on hope, on the unexplainable, on what is truly a miracle. It is clear that by passing this bill and the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act we will not be reading articles in next week’s paper that we found the cure for cancer or any other disease…But I feel strongly that the effects of Federal dollars and involvement in stem cell research will make an unquestionable difference.”
Expressing her opposition to H.R. 810, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) stated, “Like the rest of my colleagues joining me today, I am strongly in support of scientific research to save and improve human life. But to fund Federal research on stem cells derived from killing human embryos is unethical and irresponsible. While stem cell research has never been prohibited in the private sector, President Bush permitted the usage of embryonic stem cell lines sufficient for extensive government-funded research nearly four years ago. In these four years, government and private research on those stem cells have produced nothing, cured no one; and there is no indication that that will change. In the meantime, ethical research not derived from embryos in the public and private sectors has helped cure almost 60 diseases. The private sector has proven the superiority and promise of cord blood in adult stem cell research by choosing to fund those areas. Let us learn from their example and not squander taxpayer dollars on unethical research.”
Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-CT) voiced her support for H.R. 810, stating that the bill “builds on the President’s policy by merely allowing the use of embryonic stem cells created for fertility purposes to be donated with permission, but without payment, by the woman for research, research to cure some of the terrible diseases that plague our lives. These free citizens would simply exercise their right and their conscience in donating embryos that would otherwise be discarded…as waste. I believe we have a moral responsibility to advance the research that saves lives, relieves pain, and prevents suffering, rather than destroying those embryos. Those embryos could produce the stem cells that would save lives, and should not be destroyed.”
Pointing out that no committee held a hearing on H.R. 810, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) asked a number of questions that she felt had not been answered: “How do we evaluate this bill when so much is missing? How do we evaluate which embryos should be…sent to research and how many be adopted by infertile couples so those embryos can be developed into full human beings? Who will decide? Is it just a matter for the individual couple, or is there a larger, societal responsibility to protect life?” Rep. Kaptur concluded by stating, “In my opinion, the subcommittee and committees of jurisdiction have not met their responsibilities to this Congress by abdicating their hearing responsibility. All we have are documents from outside proponents and opponents, and frankly, that is not good enough…On a matter of such magnitude, where some human embryos will be destroyed in the hope that new cures are made possible, the Congress needs to be more responsible.”
