--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Laura Eckart" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 16:10:11 -0400
Subject: 145 members!

ACTION ALERT! WE NEED YOUR HELP!

ALERT:A letter is being circulated  in the House of Representatives by
Representative Diana DeGette, D-CO and Representative Jim Ramstad, R-MN
to President Bush in support of embryonic stem cell research.

ACTION:  If your Member of Congress has not signed this letter, please
call and urge them to do so.  Ask your Representative to sign onto the
DeGette/Ramstad stem cell letter to the President.  This letter is
scheduled to be sent to the White House on Friday, July 27th. So, time is
of the essence! If you are unsure of your representative's phone number
please call 202-225-3121 or visit www.house.gov.

ATTACHMENT: Below is a copy of the letter that will be sent to President
Bush as well as Members of Congress who have already signed onto the
letter. If your Member of Congress has already signed the letter, call
and thank them for their support.

Please send this to your family and friends and ask for there assistance.
Together, we can make a difference!
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President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, DC 20500

We are writing to express our strong support for federal funding of
embryonic stem cell research. The surprising news reports last week on
private embryonic stem cell research underscore the importance of
continued federal oversight and involvement in this sensitive and
important area.

 The reports last week that a Virginia laboratory has created human
embryos to obtain stem cells for research purposes and a Massachusetts
firm aims to create embryos using cloning techniques to derive stem cells
for therapeutic purposes, make plain that this research, replete with
moral, ethical, and scientific issues is occurring in the private sector
even as the federal government debates the issues.

 The only way to ensure that embryonic stem cell research is conducted
with strict ethical and legal guidelines is to provide federal funding
and oversight. By taking this leading role, the federal government will
participate in the vital debate that occurs concerning any new
biotechnology, including the creation of human embryos for research
purposes. We believe that these issues should not be left to the private
sector to dictate alone.

 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines provide meaningful
oversight protections by addressing such issues as informed consent, the
source of cells and measures to ensure safety and the ethical use of
embryonic stem cells.

 We understand that you are exploring various so-called compromises,
including allowing federal funds for research only on existing cell
lines. While we understand how that might appear to be an appealing
alternative, scientists report have produced very few cell lines at this
time. If this decision were made it would prove problematic because each
cell line has a different potential for offering different therapies.
Scientists have yet to discover and understand the full range of
available cell lines, let alone their prospective medical benefits.
Halting research before fully understanding these issues will thwart
further development.

 Mr. President, you have read and heard from the scientists that research
on embryonic stem cells could result in treatments or cures for millions
of Americans suffering a variety of illnesses including diabetes,
Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and heart disease.  We urge you to take
our views into consideration when you make this incredibly important
decision. You have the lives of millions of our-and your-constituents in
your hands.

Signed,


Below is the most recent list of members who have signed the
DeGette/Ramstad letter to President Bush.  Keep Up the good work. The
letter will be mailed to President Bush on Monday, July 30th.

 Alphabetical List of Members Who Have Signed Stem Cell Letter as of July
26th
1)         Neil Abercrombie
2)         Gary L. Ackerman
3)         Thomas H. Allen
4)         Robert E. Andrews
5)         Joe Baca
6)         John E. Baldacci
7)         Tammy Baldwin
8)         Tom Barrett
9)         Charles Bass
10)        Howard Berman
11)        Shelly Berkley
12)        Judy Biggert
13)        Sanford Bishop
14)        Sherwood Boehlert
15)        Daniel E. Bonior
16)        Mary Bono
17)        Rick Boucher
18)        Robert A. Brady
19)        Corrine Brown
20)        Sherrod Brown
21)        Lois Capps
22)        Brad R Carson
23)        Julia Carson
24)        Michael N. Castle
25)        William Lacy Clay
26)        James Clyburn
27)        Elijah E. Cummings
28)        Randy "Duke" Cunningham
29)        Danny Davis
30)        Jim Davis
31)        Susan A. Davis
32)        Tom Davis
33)        Peter A. DeFazio
34)        Rosa DeLauro
35)        Peter Deutsch
36)        Lloyd Doggett
37)        Calvin Dooley
38)        John Duncan
39)        Jennifer Dunn
40)        Philip English
41)        Anna Eshoo
42)        Lane Evans
43)        Sam Farr
44)        Bob Filner
45)        Mark Foley
46)        Rodney Frelinghuysen
47)        Martin Frost
48)        James Gibbons
49)        Wayne Gilchrest
50)        Benjamin A. Gilman
51)        Kay Granger
52)        Jim Greenwood
53)        Luis Gutierrez
54)        Jane Harman
55)        Alcee L. Hastings
56)        Maurice Hinchey
57)        Rush Holt
58)        Joseph Hoeffel
59)        Mike Honda
60)        Darlene Hooley
61)        Steve Horn
62)        Amory Houghton, Jr.
63)        Jay Inslee
64)        Johnny Isakson
65)        Sheila Jackson Lee
66)        Eddie Bernice Johnson
67)        Nancy Johnson
68)        Gerald D. Kelczka
69)        Sue Kelly
70)        Carolyn Kilpatrick
71)        Ron Kind
72)        Mark S. Kirk
73)        Jim Koulbe
74)        Jim Langevin
75)        Tom Lantos
76)        Rick Larsen
77)        Jim Leach
78)        Barbara Lee
79)        Sander M. Levin
80)        Jerry Lewis
81)        John Lewis
82)        Zoe Lofgren
83)        Nita Lowey
84)        William Luther
85)        Carolyn B. Maloney
86)        James H. Maloney
87)        Edward Markey
88)        Robert Matsui
89)        Carolyn McCarthy
90)        Karen McCarthy
91)        Jim McDermott
92)        Martin Meehan
93)        Carrie P. Meek
94)        Robert Menendez
95)        Juanita Millender-McDonald
96)        Dan Miller
97)        George Miller
98)        Dennis Moore
99)        Jim Moran
100)    Connie Morrella
101)    Jerrold Nadler
102)       Grace Napolitano
103)       George R. Nethercutt
104)       John W. Olver
105)       Frank Pallone
106)       William J. Pascrell
107)       Nancy Pelosi
108)       Earl Pomeroy
109)       David Price
110)       Deborah Pryce
111)       Jim Ramstad
112)       Charles Rangel
113)       Lynn N. Rivers
114)       Ciro D. Rodriguez
115)       Mike Ross
116)       Steven R. Rothman
117)       Marge Roukema
118)       Lucille Roybald-Allard
119)       Bobby Rush
120)       Martin Olav Sabo
121)       Loretta Sanchez
122)       Max A. Sandlin
123)       Thomas C. Sawyer
124)       Janice D. Schakowsky
125)       Bobby Scott
126)       E. Clay Shaw
127)       Christopher Shays
128)       Robert R. Simmons
129)       Louise Slaughter
130)       Ted Strickland
131)       Hilda Solis
132)       John Spratt
133)       Pete Stark
134)       Ted Strickland
135)       Ellen O. Tauscher
136)       William M. Thomas
137)       John F. Tierney
138)       Edolphus Towns
139)       Stephanie Tubb Jones
140)       Mark Udall
141)       Nydia Velazquez
142)       Diane Watson
143)       Melvin Watt
144)       Henry A. Waxman
145)  David Wu

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