Senate Postpones Stem Cell Debate Until 2006

October 21, 2005—Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chair of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee, reached an agreement with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., (R-TN) to postpone Senate debate on the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (HR 810) until early next year when the bill can be a priority item for the Senate to consider. Until this agreement was achieved, Senator Specter was working to force a vote on HR 810 this year by inserting the stem cell issue into the annual appropriations process. However, Senator Specter realized that this move would significantly drag out the debate over the Labor-HHS bill when Congress was trying to complete its work and adjourn for the year.

HR 810 was introduced in the House and Senate on February 16, 2005. In the House, Representatives Mike Castle (R-DE) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) introduced the legislation, while Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced the same bill in the Senate along with four bipartisan colleagues: Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Gordon Smith (R-OR), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). This legislation provides for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research on lines derived after August 9, 2001, and requires strong ethical guidelines on stem cell lines that are eligible for federally-funded research.

The bill states that no federal funds will be used to derive stem cells or destroy early-stage embryos. In addition, it directs the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to support appropriate research on stem cell lines derived from early-stage embryos that also meet the following criteria: originally created for fertility treatment purposes and are in excess of clinical need; would otherwise be discarded; and, the individuals for whom the embryos were created have provided written consent for embryo donation.

The House of Representatives approved HR 810 by a 238 to 194 vote on Tuesday, May 24. On Friday, July 29, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., provided a huge boost to embryonic stem cell research supporters by announcing his support for HR 810.

The postponement of the vote on HR 810 until early 2006 provides Senate opponents of embryonic stem cell research more time to plan about introducing alternative stem cell bills to try and complicate the debate over approving HR 810. The following measures involving stem cell research are currently being developed in the Senate: unite the cord blood and bone marrow networks; move the embryonic stem cell derivation cut-off date from August 9, 2001, to 2005; increase research into unproven methods of extracting stem cells without destroying human embryos; anti-nuclear transfer legislation; and, an anti-chimera bill.

Now is a great opportunity to take advantage of the easy online advocacy system ASH has put in place to influence legislation. Please visit ASH’s Advocacy Center to learn more and send an e-mail to your Senators about Embryonic Stem Cell Research. It is critical that embryonic stem cell research supporters send a clear and consistent message to the Senate—Approve HR 810 with no amendments and with no other measures that restrict any avenue of stem cell-related research.

If you have questions, or need more information, please contact Jeff Coughlin, ASH Government Affairs Manager, at (202) 776-0544 or jcoughlin@hematology.org.