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George Bush did not kill research on stem
cells, he just refused to fund it with taxpayers money. Like many
other sickness and diseases, researchers continuing on with private donations
and private fundraisers. Any person who wants to sit around and wait for
the government to take action on important issues that they may benefit from I
suggest is wasting their time. Most cures in this country have been
discovered through R&D of private companies in the perseverance of medical
scientists and doctors funded by private donations.
T. Houston C5 C6
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 3:50
PM
Subject: [QUAD-L] Stem Cell Bill
Killed
Bush uses first-ever veto to kill stem cell bill 32
minutes
ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) -
US President George W. Bush
used
his veto for the first time since taking office,
blocking a bill that would
have expanded federal
funding for embryonic stem cell research.
"It crosses a moral boundary that our decent society
needs to
respect, so I vetoed it," Bush said in
remarks at the White House, saying
that in rejecting
the legislation he is "keeping the promise I made
to
the American people.
"As science brings us ever closer to
unlocking the
secrets of human biology, it also offers temptations
to
manipulate human life and violate human dignity,"
said Bush.
"Our
conscience and history as a nation demand that we
resist this temptation,"
Bush said.
The stem cell research endorsed by the Senate on
Tuesday
would have used embryos -- some consisting of
just a handful of cells --
left over from in vitro
fertilization (IVF) procedures.
The
president had long vowed to veto the bill because
of his deeply held moral
beliefs that destroying human
life is wrong -- even in its earliest form,
and even
in the interest of research that could lead to
potentially
life-saving medical breakthroughs.
Bush made the announcement at a
White House signing
ceremony for alternative bioethics legislation
known
as "The Fetus Farming Prohibition Act," making it a
crime to
initiate a pregnancy for the sole purpose of
obtaining human organs or
tissue for research.
Present for the announcement were several
families
with "snowflake babies" -- children conceived via
donated
embryos left over from IVF treatments.
The president vetoed the Stem
Cell Research
Enhancement Act despite widespread support by the
US
public and ardent backers in Congress, who on
Wednesday urged Bush to
reconsider his stance.
Stem cell research advocates say the technique
shows
promise for the treatment of degenerative diseases
such as
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and for diabetes.
The bill would have
lifted rules set by Bush in 2001
making federal funds available only for
research on a
small number of embryonic stem cell lines which
existed at
that time.
Government money is barred from supporting work on
new
lines derived from human embryos -- a restriction that
opponents say
hampers overall research.
In London, Martin Rees, the president of the
Royal
Society -- Britain's de facto academy of sciences --
said the US
policy "is slowing down the global effort
to develop therapies for a range
of diseases and
illnesses."
"If the present restrictions remain, it
would surely
mean that the United States will continue to fall
behind in
this important and exciting area," said
Rees.
The Senate approved
the measure by a 63-37 vote -- a
margin too small to override a
presidential veto.
Nevertheless, 41 Senate Democrats sent a letter
to
Majority Leader Bill Frist, urging him to lobby
support among
congressional Republicans to overturn
Bush's veto.
"We are pleased
that you supported this important
legislation and know that you recognize
the enormous
potential of this research for discovering new cures
and
therapies for diseases such as diabetes,
Parkinsons disease and spinal cord
injuries.
"The only chance for overriding this veto rests with
you
and the Republican caucuses in the House and the
Senate.
"Millions
of patients and their families across the
nation cannot afford to wait any
longer for the
enactment of this urgently needed legislation,"
the
Democratic lawmakers wrote.
"We are counting on your leadership
to help ensure
that this legislation becomes law so that we may
finally
clear the way for research that could lead to
treatments and cures for so
many debilitating disease
and conditions," Democrats
wrote.
__________________________________________________
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