Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006
FETUS FARMING PROHIBITION ACT OF 2006 -- (Senate - July 18, 2006)
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Mr. HARKIN. Eight minutes? Then I yield myself 8 minutes, I guess.
First of all, Mr. President, I thank all the Senators who came here to speak in support of H.R. 810, Republicans, Democrats, liberals, conservatives, moderates. I think it has been a very good debate.
When I started the debate, I talked about hope. Senator Feinstein spoke about that. Senator Kennedy just spoke eloquently about hope. I think that is where we should close the debate, on hope, because H.R. 810 offers real hope. It offers real hope to people who are suffering from Alzheimer's, from ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries, juvenile diabetes. It offers hope to their loved ones and their families.
Senator Kennedy just read the statement by Lauren Stanford about her hope, her hope that she can one day be whole again. To repeat for emphasis sake what Senator Kennedy just said, Lauren Stanford--she is innocent, as she said. She did nothing to bring on her diabetes. As she said, all I have is hope.
I am so happy to hear that the Senate is thinking of passing H.R. 810. I can dream again.
The one thing that has helped me accept what I have had to all these years is the presence of hope. Hope keeps me going.
That is Lauren Stanford. ``Hope keeps me going.''
H.R. 810 basically opens the door and lets in the sunshine. It opens the door for more responsible research, research done with good peer review, research done with good oversight, and, I might add, research done with strong ethical guidelines that we have in H.R. 810.
I remind my colleagues and all who are watching, the ethical guidelines in H.R. 810 are stronger than what exists right now--stronger than what exists right now.
The American people get it. They understand this. We know in a recent poll that asked, ``Do you support embryonic stem cell research?'' that 72 percent said ``Yes.'' That is almost three out of four. Most of these American people who support stem cell research don't have MDs. They don't have a Ph.D. But they know one thing: virtually every reputable biomedical scientist, almost all Nobel Prize winners, say that embryonic stem cell research holds enormous potential to cure diseases and injuries. They know that.
That is why 591 groups, disease advocacy groups, patient groups, scientific groups, research institutions, religious groups--591 American organizations support H.R. 810. That is why over 80 Nobel Prize winners have written to us asking us to pass H.R. 810. The American people get it. They know what is at stake.
As I said, it has been a good debate. I thank Senator Frist, our majority leader, for engineering this debate and making it possible for us to have an up-or-down vote on H.R. 810. But I must say, in the last couple of days, what has saddened me is that so much time has been spent talking about whether adult stem cells or embryonic stem cell research is the way to go. Frankly, the vast majority of American people could care less. They could care less. They want cures. They want cures for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and juvenile diabetes and spinal cord injuries. They want their loved ones to have a better life, a fuller life, a pain-free life--less suffering.
If adult stem cells get us there, fine. If embryonic stem cell research gets us there, fine. We should not shut the door; we want to open the doors. We have done 30 years of work on adult stem cell research and not one of these illnesses has yet been cured or even remotely cured by adult stem cells. We have only had embryonic stem cells for 8 years, but we ought to open the doors.
It is a false dichotomy to say that it is either adult stem cells or embryonic stem cells. As Senator Smith of Oregon said today so eloquently, the people of America want these embryos that are left over from IVF clinics not to be discarded but to give the gift of life to those who suffer.
Last night when I left the floor of the Senate, I met a young man out here, the first time I ever met him. His name is Jeff McGaffrey. He is sitting here on the floor of the Senate today. I didn't know this: he is an intern on the HELP Committee. He was appointed to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Missouri, and during his first year there he suffered an accident and now doesn't have the use of his legs. He is paralyzed from the waist down.
I want to read this. This is a letter from Jeff McGaffrey.
Honest to God, not a day goes by, not an hour goes by when I don't think about my days at the academy, about the life I led as an officer in the Armed Forces, leading soldiers in service to our nation. In spite of this chair that I am confined to, I still regard myself as an officer, a soldier on the frontlines of a different type of battlefield; a battle not against a country or an army, but against disease and injury.
I continue to cherish the hope for a cure, until the day comes, if God-willing, I can walk away from this chair and back into the camaraderie and respect of the men and women who proudly serve our country in the Armed Forces.
I ask that you please keep my hope alive, and not just my hope but the hopes of millions of people, including our soldiers and veterans who proudly served our country and who currently suffer from disease and injury.
Keeping this hope alive is made possible by moving forward with stem cell research, especially H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. We know not where embryonic stem research might lead, but we know there is only one way to find out, by allowing NIH funding for our best and brightest scientists to explore the full therapeutic potential of embryonic stem cells.
I ask unanimous consent that Jeff McGaffrey's letter be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
DEAR SENATOR HARKIN: My name is Jeff McCaffrey, and I had the wonderful privilege of meeting you last night at the end of the stem cell debate. As you could tell, I was confined to a wheelchair. I currently suffer from paralysis due to a spinal cord injury. I am a resident of the great state of Missouri, currently interning for the Senate HELP Committee through Chairman Enzi working on the health policy team. I'm also a student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
I have not always been a student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, nor have I always been confined to a wheelchair. I was appointed to the U.S. Air Force Academy following high school. It was an honor that I continue to be proud of. Unfortunately I suffered a spinal cord injury while I was there. I believe one of the greatest honors and responsibilities that an individual can have is being an officer in the armed forces, leading soldiers in service to our nation. This was, and still is, my goal, my ambition, one in which I would dedicate my life to.
Honest to God, not a day goes by, not an hour goes by when I don't think about my days at the academy, about the life I would have lead as an officer in the armed forces, leading soldiers in service to our nation. In spite of this chair that I am confined to, I still regard myself as an officer, a soldier on the frontlines of a different type of battlefield; a battle not against a country or army, but against disease and injury.
I continue to cherish the hope for a cure, until the day comes, if God-willing, I can walk away from this chair and back into the camaraderie and respect of the men and women who proudly serve our country in the armed forces.
I ask that you please keep my hope alive, and not just my hope, but the hope of millions of people, including our soldiers and veterans who proudly served our country and who currently suffer from disease and injury. Keeping this hope alive is made possible by moving forward with stem cell research, especially H.R. 810, The Stem-Cell Research Enhancement Act. We know not where embryonic stem cell research might lead, but we know there is only one way to find out, by allowing NIH funding for our best and brightest scientists to explore the full therapeutic potential of embryonic stem cells.
Whether cures are found, whether my dream becomes a reality or not, I hope my service, in whatever capacity it might be, can lay the foundation for a better world, which is exactly what the brave men and women who serve our country do everyday.
Respectfully,
Jeff McCaffrey
Former U.S. Air Force Cadet.
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I close with this thought. So many people are suffering in our country. They have hope.
My nephew Kelly was injured 27 years ago serving his country--just like Jeff McGaffrey--on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. He was sucked down by a jet engine and broke his neck. He has been paralyzed for 27 years. He keeps his hope alive. He has followed this debate. He has followed years of research. Kelly McGuade is a smart young man. He has followed it, and he knows that the one thing which gives him the best hope is embryonic stem cell research.
Are we today going to dash their hopes? Are we going to shut the door, pull the curtain down, and say, I am sorry? What all the major scientists with the best minds say is the best potential--are we going to close the curtain and shut the door?
I say open the door. Bring in the sunshine. Let our scientists move ahead with the strong ethical guidelines, with good peer review and with good oversight to give hope to my nephew, to Jeff, and to millions of Americans.
I yield the floor.
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