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> Date: Sun, 26 May 1996 15:32:19 -0400 > From: Don Berns <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Udall Bil & Conressman Moorhead > Friday May 24,1996 Gene Givens, Bill Dewey and myself had an > appointment with Congressman Carlos Moorhead. We met in his > Glendale, CA office and he gave us over an hour of his time. > Congressman Moorhead is retiring after serving in Congress for 24 > years. > He was quite amicable and told us that his father- in-law > had died with > Parkinson's Disease. He also said that he was quite sympathetic to > our cause and would like to do what he could to obtain more funding > for research for Parkinson's Disease. > However, he had one big problem with the Udall bill and that > was the > abortion issue. He said that he had never voted for any bill that > supported abortion and was not going to now at the end of his > career. Carlos is a very sincere man, a Christian who feels that > abortion is the one line he will not cross. First the obvious, the Udall Bill does not contain one reference to abortion and/or fetal tissue. > We assured him that we shared his views on the > unacceptability of > abortion and did not see any conflict. He said that he did not have > a problem with tissue being used for research from naturally > occurring abortions. But he did not want to support any bill which > he felt would somehow encourage abortions. Upton's legislation already enacted into law prohibits one from attempting to designate a specific recipient of an aborted fetus. It also prohibits any profit from the sale or distribution of aborted fetus. I believe this effectively disconnects the decision to have an abortion from the ultimate end use of the aborted fetus. If this legislation needs strengthened perhaps that could be amended to the Udall Bill. For someone as sincere has Moorhead appears, the question should be raised--"how would the Bill need to be modified so that he could in good conscience sign it?" Surely the right to life applies to those with Parkinson's as well as the fetus. > When we offered him the sheet listing those who had already > signed on as > co-sponsors from the House, he remarked that we had all the people > signed up who supported abortion. I asked him to look at the list > again for I was sure that there were those signed up who were just > as opposed to abortion as he is. He did agree that there were > several on the list who would be anti-abortion. I believe the split is about 2:1 pro choice vs. pro life > I told him that fetal cell research was just one of the > areas to be > funded by the Udall bill and that given the proper research monies > we had hopes of finding a cure or effective therapy that would not > use fetal cell tissue. > He brought up the issue of someone getting pregnant for the > sole purpose > of providing tissue for transplantation. When we told him all the > safeguards that were built in to prevent that from happening. It > was sort of like *Don t confuse me with the facts.* For Carlos the > abortion issue is the red flag that will prevent him from voting for > the bill. HE did say that if he could be assured that the Udall > bill would in no way encourage abortion he would vote for the bill. > Again Upton's legislation provides those safeguards. And if you speak to a of women, they are uniformly installed that they would make such a decision based on providing material for research. I showed him an edited down version of the documentary *New > Hope for > Parkinson's Disease* which seemed to make quite an impression on him > especially in light of seeing me sitting there in front of him > symptom free from the Parkinson's Disease which he could clearly see > had ravaged my life before the Pallidotomy. > I offered to him that the Udall bill would provide more > opportunities to > explore and perfect procedures such as the Pallidotomy. > I told him that I would get some materials together that > would hopefully > alleviate his concerns about the abortion issue. > I have made copies of recent postings which speak to this > issue. Any > further information any of you could provide which might help > convince Congressman Moorhead would be appreciated. Finally, with difficult cases we've found it best to take along a researcher in the field who can speak to all the other promising areas of research. My associate at the University of Pittsburgh told Senator Santorum--"the best way to assure that human fetal tissue was not part of the ultimate solutions was to pass the Udall Bill. There are just so many other promising areas, without the difficulties of human fetal tissue. > > Don > Don, I hope this might help. We can perhaps get something written from Upton if you think that would help. Feel free to call me if you think talking lies would help (412-521-9584). This issue is perhaps the current biggest stumbling block to passage of the Udall Bill as Congressman Bilirakis, chairman of the subcommittee which has this bill in the House shares Moorhead's opinions. Bilirakis had a brother who died of Parkinson's related problems. We need some creative compromise to speed this legislation along. Time now is perhaps our biggest enemy and if this process becomes tangled with the abortion issue we may not get it done. Jim PS Any of you want to go to Washington D.C. with us June 18th and 19th?