Crapo Votes for Alternative Adult Stem Cell Research
CRAPO VOTES FOR ALTERNATIVE ADULT STEM CELL RESEARCH
Votes against funding embryonic stem cell destruction
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Washington, DC - Funding for adult and alternative stem cell research was approved today through the Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act (S. 2754), with the support of Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, as the Senate voted on three stem-cell related bills. Crapo also voted in favor of a second bill, (S. 3504) to prohibit farming' embryonic stem cells, but against a third bill, (H.R. 810) that would allow human embryos created during invitro procedures to be used for research and subsequently destroyed. All three bills were passed by the Senate.
"I recognize the significant medical breakthroughs that may result from stem cell research and support federally funded research conducted within strict ethical guidelines. The federal government shouldn't support such research when it involves the purposeful creation and destruction of human embryos. Additionally, I do not condone using federal dollars to fund programs that harvest living embryos solely for the purpose of research. The significant amount of medical information that can be gained from research must be balanced with the responsibility to the unborn of our society.
We don't have to choose between science and ethics with the vast amounts of promising results coming from adult and alternative stem cell research," Crapo said. "The federal government should support research to develop alternative stem cells that are capable of producing almost all cell types but do not destroy a human embryo, and it should send funding where there are proven results. Aside from ethics, stem cells drawn from adults, umbilical cord blood and others with no harm to the donors are already used in human treatments, and currently show more real potential for more diverse applications than those cells derived from embryos. "
The Senate's approval today of the three bills will now send H.R. 810 to the president for signature or veto. The two Senate-originated bills, S. 2754 and S. 3504, will be sent to the House for further consideration.
http://crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/release_full.cfm?id=258788&&year=2006&