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No Stem Cell Talk in the Senate -- It's Flag-Burning Monday Submitted by Bob Geiger on June 26, 2006 - 6:44am.Civil Liberties | Republicans & Conservatives Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist doesn't want to leave "wedge-issue June" with an 0-2 record -- having failed miserably at banning gay marriage and forcing a repeal of the estate tax -- so he'll try to salvage the month today when he brings Orrin Hatch's (R-UT) S.J.RES.12 to the Senate floor. S.J.RES.12, accompanies a similar House resolution and proposes ".an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States." Frist has scheduled today for debate on Hatch's bill, with a vote possible as early as Tuesday. All but four Republican Senators have signed on to cosponsor the bill, which also has a handful of Democratic backers. "There is no idea or thought expressed by the burning of the American flag that cannot be expressed equally well in another manner," said Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), one of the original cosponsors and one of nine Democrats supporting the measure. "This Amendment would leave both the flag and free speech safe." Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) have both signed on in the last month, bringing the total number of cosponsors to 59. With that Democratic support, the amendment stands a chance of succeeding, as proponents of the bill say they already have 66 of the 67 votes needed. "This is the place to stop it," said Ted Kennedy (D-MA), who thinks the measure would have a strong impact on the right to free speech. "This will be one of the most important votes we cast in this session." The Senate has not voted on such an amendment since 2000, when it got 63 votes and Republicans believe they have enough pro-amendment senators elected since then to get it through this time. It is important to note that, no matter how ill-advised, the measure doesn't actually ban flag desecration but, as the text of the legislation makes clear, simply gives Congress the authority to issue such edicts in the future. Still, with everything else facing our country, it is incredible that this and things like banning gay marriage are at the top of the Republican agenda. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) went to the Senate floor on Friday to again plead that the issue of stem cell research, which could someday result in cures to diseases suffered by millions of Americans, be taken up instead of frivolous wedge issues. "Over the past year, I have repeatedly asked the distinguished majority leader to find time to consider this [stem cell] bill, but my requests have been met by inaction," said Reid Friday morning. "As a result, millions of Americans who could benefit from the cures offered by stem cell research have been forced to wait. They have waited through weeks dedicated to issues such as defining marriage. They have waited through weeks dedicated to issues such as the estate tax. They have waited through weeks dedicated to special interests and the majority's well-connected friends. And next week, I am told we are going to spend it on flag burning." "They even waited through a Health Week that had nothing to do with getting America health care. How we could have a Health Care Week in the Senate and not consider stem cell research is very difficult for the American people to understand." Reid cited amazing results recently announced by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showing that transplants of embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons in the spinal cords of paralyzed animals have resulted in partially restored motor functions. "This work is a remarkable advance that can help us understand how stem cells might be used to treat injuries and disease and begin to fulfill their great promise," said Elias A. Zerhouni, Director of the NIH in a press release . "The successful demonstration of functional restoration is proof of the principle and an important step forward." However, here's what Reid had to say about the ignorance on stem-cell research shown by George W. Bush and the GOP-controlled Congress: "Under the President's stem cell policy, Federal research funds can be used only on a small number of these stem cell lines that were created before August 9, 2001. This restriction excludes newer and more promising stem cell lines. These limitations only serve to further delay progress for research that could ultimately benefit a broad range of diseases and conditions. "A month ago, the 1-year anniversary of the passage of the House bill, Senator Frist once again said he would find time for the Senate to consider stem cell this summer. Summer is here. We have had time for marriage, we have had time for the estate tax, and we are going to have time next week for flag burning. Shouldn't we have time for stem cell legislation? But here we are on June 23. Another month has passed, and still we don't have a commitment to take up stem cell research legislation. That is not acceptable. The news this week that scientists were able to regrow damaged nerves in rats using embryonic stem cells is more evidence of the great promise of this research." And so it goes, with the Republican agenda continuing to take our country backward, rather than moving forward. The sickening irony is that Dr. Bill Frist, once a man of medicine, would now rather see someone confined for life to a wheelchair than standing upright and burning a flag. 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