Print

---

Do you ever get the feeling we are just spinning our wheels when it comes to
stem cell research?   The federal government is more interested in some
bacteria that has killed 3 people than they are in epidemics of disease that
affect tens of millions of our citizens.  They would do the world more good
if they found a cure for cancer, diabetes, or heart disease.

Greg
49/35/35



----- Original Message -----
From: Linda J Herman <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 11:50 AM
Subject: NEWS - stem cell proposal dropped by Senate


> More stem cell news - today's is not so good. I realize of course the
> circumstances are very different now, but wasn't this exactly what
> happened in Congress a year ago? The whole issue of funding embryonic
> stem cell research was dropped then also because debate would hold up
> passage of the appropriations bills and Senator Specter was promised that
> his bill for full federal funding of ESCR would be brought up "early in
> 2001?"
> I think however that at least the limited funding per Pres. Bush's
> guidelines could proceed in 2002 - or at least funding for it could be
> appropriated within the NIH budget -- is this correct?
> Be aware though- - "appropriated" does not mean funding will be
> "authorized" (allowed to be spent) - another lesson learned about
> federal funding of medicaal research.
> Linda
>
> FROM:      The Associated Press State & Local Wire
>  November 1, 2001, Thursday, BC cycle
> SECTION: State and Regional
>
> HEADLINE: Stem cell proposal dropped in Senate amid threat of lengthy
> debate
> BYLINE: By JANELLE CARTER, Associated Press Writer
> DATELINE: WASHINGTON
>
>    A measure to allow an expansion of stem cell research beyond what
> President
> Bush has authorized was dropped Thursday in the Senate after abortion
> opponents
> threatened a lengthy debate.
>
>    The issue could have embroiled the Senate in intense debate over the
> meaning
> of life at a time when lawmakers are hurrying to complete must-pass
> spending
> bills.
>
>    The stem cell provision had been attached to a much-needed $123.1
> billion
> measure funding federal education, labor and health programs for the
> fiscal year
> that began Oct. 1. Senators were debating the overall bill Thursday.
>
>    If lawmakers got into the stem cell discussion, "I don't know how long
> it
> will take to debate," Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said.
>
>    Specter angered abortion foes when he included language in a labor and
> health
> spending bill that would have changed Bush's new policy on stem cell
> research to
> allow couples to donate unused embryos from fertility clinics. Abortion
> critics
> long have worried that embryos are destroyed for stem cell research.
>
>    Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. and an ardent abortion foe, threatened to
> delay
> the bill by offering several amendments, including one on banning human
> cloning.
>
>    "Let's get on with this business," Senate Appropriations Chairman
> Robert
> Byrd, D-W.Va., implored colleagues. "We have a bill here that we ought to
> move."
>
>    The government continues to operate on a temporary spending measure
> while
> lawmakers complete appropriations bills.
>
>    Specter and Brownback said they had reached an agreement with Senate
> Majority
> Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., to withdraw their issues until the Senate had
> time
> to hold extensive debate, probably early next year.
>
> The White House had recommended a veto if the stem cell language remained
> in
> the bill.
>
>    Bush in August issued a long-awaited policy that restricts stem cell
> research
> to the 64 stem cell lines administration officials said already exist.
>
>    The Specter language, inserted by the Democratic-controlled Senate
> Appropriations Committee, would have allowed stem cell research using
> embryos
> that would otherwise be destroyed, if permission were granted by the
> people
> whose fertility treatments created the embryos.
>
>    Bush had hoped to stay out of the embryo debate, offering a
> middle-of-the-road solution to an issue that had ignited both sides of
> the
> abortion debate.
>
>    For years, the Clinton administration had said that as long as private
> dollars paid for the extraction of the stem cells, federal money could be
> used
> for research.
>
>    Scientists hope to use stem cells - which can grow into any type of
> human
> tissue - to treat Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other diseases.
>
> LOAD-DATE: November 2, 2001
> Source: LEXIS/NEXIS
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to:
mailto:[log in to unmask]
> In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn
>

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