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--------- Forwarded message ---------- From: [log in to unmask] 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn