Washington – Legislation to overrule restrictions imposed by President Bush in 2001 and provide more embryonic stem- cell lines for research has enough votes to pass the U.S. House, according to its Colorado co-author and activist groups.
Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat, said she has counted those willing to vote for her measure and that “it’s over a majority,” referring to the 218 votes needed for passage.
A similar measure in the Senate has strong support, with sponsors there agreeing they have enough votes for passage. House and Senate Republicans will hold a news conference today to announce polling data showing that Republicans support stem-cell research and to talk about grassroots efforts to bolster support for the bills.
The House bill has 198 lawmakers signed on as co-sponsors. Those counting up votes say that at least 20 other lawmakers are willing to vote for the bill but are hesitant to sign their name to legislation that goes against what both the president and Republican House leaders want.
DeGette cautions that “anything can happen” but said, “If my vote count holds, I think we’ll pass the bill.”
“We’re hopeful,” agreed a spokeswoman for the Republican co-author of the bill, Rep. Michael Castle of Delaware.
“I’m very confident that we have a majority of support,” said Lawrence Soler, vice president of government relations for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Lobbyists from the group have been visiting lawmakers daily and have taken their own vote counts. “I think we may well-surprise people and have a very strong showing of support,” he said.
Even opponents of the legislation say it could pass.
Carrie Gordon Earll, a bioethics analyst for Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, noted that 198 co-sponsors “is a good chunk of the House.”
“It’s very disappointing,” Earll said. “You’ve got Republicans willing to go against their president on something that’s not even proven science.”
While not launching any new lobbying efforts, Focus on the Family says it will “continue to educate folks and ask them to call and try to derail this,” Earll said. “If not, we’ll have to see what happens in the Senate.”
Researchers say embryonic stem cells, which have the potential to grow into 220 different human cells, could provide a possible cure for diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries and other conditions.
Bush has limited federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research to stem-cell lines created on or before Aug. 9, 2001.
If the bill passes, it will be only the second in about eight years to overcome opposition from majority leadership, DeGette said. The other she could recall was the bill that reformed campaign-finance rules.
The Senate has a similar bill, and lobbying groups and senators pushing for the bill say there are enough votes there to pass the measure. Senate leadership has not yet agreed to bring it to the floor for a vote. But activists hope passage in the House will create enough momentum to force the Senate to act.
In the House, Republican leaders have agreed to bring the measure to the floor for a vote, Castle has said. DeGette said it could come before Memorial Day.
Bush has not said whether he would veto the bill if it passes.
