Against Forcing Pro-Life Community to Fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research

AGAINST FORCING PRO-LIFE COMMUNITY TO FUND EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH -- (House of Representatives - May 24, 2005)

(Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) and for the sincerity of his purpose in bringing forward legislation today that would fund the destruction of human embryos for the purpose of scientific research with Federal tax dollars.

Mr. Speaker, I am not a scientist. I do know that there have been more than 60 successful treatments using adult stem cells; there have been zero treatments developed using embryonic stem cells.

But let us be clear today about this debate. Embryonic stem cell research today, despite my objection and the objection of tens of millions of pro-life Americans, embryonic stem cell research is legal in America today. It goes on using private dollars every day. The debate on the floor today that the gentleman from Delaware just referred to, his legislation has to do with using Federal tax dollars to fund research that involves the destruction of human embryos. I believe it is morally wrong to destroy human embryos for the purposes of research, but I believe it is doubly morally wrong to force millions of pro-life Americans to see their tax dollars used to support research that they find morally offensive.

Let the debate begin.

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