Michail........
Bush to Decide on Stem Cell Funding
Friday July 20 3:49 PM ET
By ANJETTA McQUEEN, Associated Press Writer
<<WASHINGTON (AP) - A leading Republican senator says he believes a majority of U.S. senators now support allowing
federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter and 12 other Republican senators reiterated their support for the practice in a new letter to
Bush on Friday.
``There is more than a groundswell here. There is really an avalanche of support,'' Specter said.
Bush, an abortion opponent, has been grappling with a decision on whether to allow government support of stem cell research
involving human embryos.
Stem cells are master cells that can generate body tissue. Scientists believe the cures for many diseases could be unlocked from
research using stem cells. Abortion opponents say harvesting the stem cells requires the death of an embryo, which many
regard as human life.
The issue is not pending in Congress at this time although several lawmakers have indicated they will bring up a bill if Bush
rejects the funding policy, which had been instituted during the Clinton administration.
Specter, who has written Bush on the issue previously, said Friday he believed there are 75 senators who would vote in favor of
stem cell research should Congress take up the issue. That's more than enough to override a presidential veto.
The letter sent Friday by Specter and other Republican senators said, ``Stem cell research has demonstrated a remarkable
capacity of these cells to transform into any type of cell in the human body. If scientists are correct, stem cells could be used to
treat and cure a multitude of maladies ... ``
The letter also was signed by Sens. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Olympia Snowe and
Susan Collins of Maine, Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, Ted Stevens of Alaska, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, Gordon
Smith of Oregon, Orrin Hatch of Utah, Richard Lugar of Indiana, John McCain of Arizona and John Warner of Virginia.
The issue has created strange bedfellows. The United Methodist Church, known for supporting abortion rights, asked Bush, who
is a Methodist, this week to uphold the ban. However, Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, an abortion opponent, called for the funding
under strict guidelines.
And on Thursday, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., sent Bush a letter signed by 59 Republican and Democratic senators supporting the
practice.
Earlier this week, Republican Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee, the Senate's only physician and a key Bush ally, said he opposed
abortion but felt compelled to support research that could save lives. His comments followed a federal health research report
that said scientists should be free to pursue all avenues of research, including that involving human embryos. But it did not
address the use of federal funds.>> |
