 |
 |
From: US Newswire Text of Senator John Kerry's Radio Address to the Nation 10/16/2004 11:06:00 AM ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- To: National Desk Contact: Allison Dobson of Kerry-Edwards 2004, 202-464-2800 WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a transcript of Senator John Kerry's radio address to the nation: Good morning, this is John Kerry. This past week, America lost one of its heroes and my friend, Christopher Reeve. Chris was one of the most hopeful people I've ever met. He treated every single day like a gift, and his life was a gift to all of us. His courage, compassion, and determination were an inspiration -- and I'm confident that because of his work, millions of Americans will ultimately live healthier lives. But the fact is that right now, we're not doing everything we can to help Americans realize this dream. Three years ago, George W. Bush put in place a ban on federal funding for stem cell research -- a ban that's tied the hands of our scientists and shut down some of our most promising work on spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer's, Diabetes, Parkinson's and other life- threatening diseases. Today, approximately 100 million Americans suffer from illnesses that may one day be treated or cured with stem-cell therapy. Stem cells may hold the key to treating heart disease and cancer. They may have the power to slow the loss of a grandmother's memory, calm the hand of an uncle with Parkinson's, or save a child from a lifetime of daily insulin shots. By restricting stem cell research, President Bush has turned his back on this hope. He's made the wrong choice to sacrifice science for extreme right-wing ideology. And right now, there is such possibility for treatments that could transform our lives -- but because of the stem cell ban, they are still beyond our reach. That's not the American way. Here in America, we've always pushed the boundaries of knowledge and used the power of science to improve the lives of our people. The first car to roll off an assembly line was made right here in America. The first airplane took off from American soil. And the first footprints on the moon were left by an American astronaut. Now we stand at the edge of the next great frontier - but instead of leading the way, we're stuck on the sidelines. But President Bush just doesn't get it. Faced with the facts, he turns away. Time and time again, he's proven that he's stubborn, out of touch, and unwilling to change course. Leaders from both political parties -- including Senators Orrin Hatch from Utah and John McCain from Arizona -- both support stem cell research as well as many others. And the majority of Americans do. But instead of listening to them, this Administration claims that supporting stem cell research creates false hope. Think about that for a minute. Imagine if we'd told researchers studying polio they were creating false hope. Imagine if we'd told those working to eradicate small pox they were creating false hope. It's unthinkable, isn't it? But that's exactly what this Administration is saying to scientists who want to study Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Diabetes, spinal cord injuries and so many other debilitating conditions. And that's just an honest difference of opinion between George Bush and me. I believe that when it comes to our most promising research -- there's no such thing as false hope. I know that when we put our best minds to work studying our worst diseases -- time and time again, we find treatments, and cures, and vaccines. But when we don't -- when we have a President who dismisses our scientists and turns his back on science -- then we say no to discovery, no to innovation, and no to hope for so many Americans When I'm President, we're going to stop saying no. We're going to say yes. We're going to lift the ban on federal funding for stem cell research once and for all. We're going to make funding for this research a top priority in our government agencies, our universities, and our medical community. And we'll continue to lead the world in great discoveries -- all while upholding the highest ethical standards. That's the right choice for America. Christopher Reeve once remarked that "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable." Together, we're going to fight to make Chris' impossible dream a beautiful reality. We're going to once again say yes to science, yes to discovery, and yes to a new era of hope for all Americans. Thanks for listening. ------ JOHN KERRY & JOHN EDWARDS: SUPPORTING STEM CELL RESEARCH TO FIND CURES FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS SUFFERING FROM DEBILITATING DISEASES Continuing in our nation's great tradition of discovery, John Kerry and John Edwards believe that stem cell research holds immense promise for millions of children and adults suffering from incurable diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, heart disease, cancer, and spinal cord injuries. As president, John Kerry will lift the ideologically- driven restrictions on stem cell research that is impeding progress toward cures for millions of Americans suffering from debilitating diseases. He will fund this research, with at least $100 million a year, while ensuring strict ethical oversight of the research. THE BUSH PLAN: 99.999 percent OF STEM CELL LINES BANNED FOR FUTURE RESEARCH Fewer cell lines available than originally promised. George Bush's August 2001 stem cell policy allegedly made available more than 60 suitable stem cell lines to federally funded researchers. However, this claim has proven to be false. Many of the cells have turned out not to be genuine stem cell lines or turned out to have no scientific value. As of today, there are only 19 lines available -- less than a third of the number originally promised. (Indianapolis Star, 6/21/04) Failing to Keep Up with Science. Every day, scientists work to develop better techniques for growing and using human stem cells, yet the cell lines made available were all originally developed using techniques that are nearly three years old - a very long time in a fast-moving field like stem cell research. Restricting doctors to cells developed with outmoded techniques is like forcing NASA engineers today to work with technology from the old Apollo moon missions. JOHN KERRY: FUNDING STEM CELL RESEARCH Stem Cell Research has the Potential to Cure Diseases and Save Lives. Embryonic stem cell research has great potential to save lives and cure disease. Millions of Americans suffer from incurable diseases that could be cured or ameliorated by stem cell research, including diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, heart disease, cancer, and spinal cord injuries. (Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research) Stem Cell Research Has Broad Bipartisan Support. In June, 58 Senators, including John Kerry and John Edwards, sent George Bush a letter urging him to lift the ideologically-driven restrictions on stem cell research. Fourteen Republicans joined Democrats in sending Bush a loud and clear message, including Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and John McCain. (Washington Post, 6/8/04) Nancy Reagan Calls for Further Stem Cell Research. Nancy Reagan called for expanding embryonic stem cell research. Reagan said, "Science has presented us with a hope called stem cell research, which may provide our scientists with many answers that for so long have been beyond our grasp. I just don't see how we can turn our backs on this...We have lost so much time already. I just really can't bear to lose any more." (Boston Globe, 5/10/04) The Vast Majority of the American People Support Stem Cell Research. According to a recent Harris Interactive poll, 73 percent of the American people support stem cell research. Additionally, 60 percent of Republicans support the research. (Harris Interactive, 8/18/04) http://www.usnewswire.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn