A week after the U.S. House voted to back an extension of embryonic stem-cell research, lawmakers in two more states have taken steps to advance the effort, stepping in where President Bush has thrown up hurdles.
The action in Massachusetts and Connecticut comes after the president threatened to veto legislation that would reverse his limits on federally supported research. The House measure would allow federal funding for research on stem cells harvested from surplus embryos from fertility clinics.
Bush says he opposes using federal dollars to destroy embryos even if it means saving lives. The president ought to realize that at a time when so much partisan squabbling is going on, there might be some merit in a bill that has widespread bipartisan support. Supporters of the legislation (co- authored by Denver congresswoman Diana DeGette) say the measure would fund the use of discarded embryos from fertilization clinics before they’re sent, literally, to the trash heap.
Scientists believe that cells extracted from human embryos have great medical potential and could lead to cures or treatment for such debilitating conditions as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and spinal cord injuries. Given the possibilities for saving lives, we support funding to promote research within the strict ethical guidelines outlined in the House measure – here again, using embryos that would otherwise be discarded.
In light of Bush’s opposition, states are realizing that if they want to develop an emerging scientific field, they should take the matter into their own hands. Last year, voters in California approved a $3 billion bond issue to lure stem-cell researchers. This week, Massachusetts legislators overturned Gov. Mitt Romney’s veto of a bill giving state health officials regulatory control over such research. Connecticut lawmakers sent that state’s governor, M. Jodi Rell, a $100 million funding plan for stem- cell research. Rell called it “visionary investment.”
Lawmakers in Washington are also considering other viable measures, including one sponsored by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., and supported by Colorado’s Rep. Bob Beauprez, the Arvada Republican. The measure would provide federal funds to test researchers’ ability to extract stem cells from embryos without destroying them. Research would be performed on animal embryos at the outset, said Beauprez, who voted against the bill that passed the House last week.
We support the House bill, and we’d like to see more about the scientific potential of the Bartlett approach.
