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To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2001 15:24:00  -0700

CALL SENATOR ORRIN HATCH TO THANK HIM FOR SUPPORT OF STEM CELL RESEARCH

As many of you know, on June 13th, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) sent
letters to President Bush and Secretary Tommy Thompson of the Department
of Health and Human Services, explaining why support of embryonic stem
cell research is consistent with "pro-life, pro-family values" as well as
"legal, scientifically compelling, and ethically sound."

Senator Hatch's leadership at this crucial time has encouraged other
anti-abortion Members of Congress to publicly express their support of
embryonic stem cell research and has strengthened our position with the
Administration.

Please call Senator Hatch's office today (Monday) and leave a message
with his staff to thank him for his leadership in supporting this
important research.  Senator Hatch's office phone number is 202-224-5251.


The text of Senator Hatch's letter to President Bush is below.  You can
find the text of his letter to Secretary Thompson at
www.stemcellfunding.org.

Please share this e-mail with your friends and family. Thank you for your
help.  Your work is making an impact!


June 13, 2001

The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I urge you to support federal funding of human pluripotent embryonic stem
cell research.  Upon substantial reflection, I find - and hope you will
as well - that proceeding with this research is in the best interests of
the American public and is consistent with our shared pro-life,
pro-family values.

After carefully analyzing the factors involved, I conclude that, at this
time, research on human pluripotent embryonic stem cells is legal,
scientifically compelling, and ethically sound.  I want to emphasize that
my support for such research is contingent upon adherence to the
applicable statutes, regulations and guidelines.  For your information, I
have provided a copy of my correspondence to Secretary Thompson that more
fully explains my reasoning on this important matter.

Mr. President, one of the great legacies of your father's presidency was
the fall of the Berlin Wall which represented the victory of democracy in
a 50-year ball with totalitarian regimes.  Through sacrifice and love of
country "the Greatest Generation" prevailed over both fascism and
communism and proved more than equal to the challenges of the times.  As
a result, today the United States is in a unique position of leadership
in the world.  How America exerts this influence and invests our
resources and energies will be observed closely by all of our global
neighbors.  It seems to me that leading the way in finding new cures for
disease is precisely the type of activity that accrues to our benefit
both at home and abroad.

In the opening days of your term in office, scientists have completed the
task of sequencing the human genome.  While this accomplishment - the
work of many in the public and private sectors - is of historical
significance, it is only the end of the beginning in a new era of our
understanding of the biological sciences.  Over your next eight years in
office, you have an unprecedented opportunity to provide the personal
leadership required to see to it that your Administration will be
remembered by future historians as the beginning of the end for such
deadly and debilitating diseases as cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes.

To accomplish this, all promising and proper avenues of research must be
explored.  Throughout my career I have been proud to have worked with
patients and families struggling with the daily realities of disabling
high prevalence illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
As author of the Orphan Drug Act, I also am proud that over 200 drugs
have been approved since this law was enacted in 1984 for such small
population, but devastating diseases, as Hemophilia, Cystic Fibrosis, and
ALS.  In my 25 years of working to sustain and build America's formidable
biomedical research enterprise, I have rarely, if ever, observed such
genuine excitement for the prospects of future progress than is presented
by embryonic stem cell research.

Mr. President, once you have considered the complexities of the questions
at hand, I hope you will conclude, as other pro-life, pro-family
Republicans such as Strom Thurmond, Gordon Smith, Connie Mack, and I,
that the best course of action is to lead the way for this vital
research.

Sincerely,


Orrin G. Hatch
United States Senator

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