Harkin Statement on New Stem Cell Procedure

HARKIN STATEMENT ON NEW STEM CELL PROCEDURE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2006

Washington D.C. --- Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), a leading advocate of stem cell research and co-sponsor of HR 810, today released the following statement regarding reports of a new procedure to derive stem cell lines without destroying the embryo:

"I welcome the report that biologists have succeeded in deriving a stem cell line from an embryo without destroying it. This is a very positive development, and it deserves more investigation.

"I am disappointed, however, by the President's knee-jerk, hypocritical opposition to this new stem cell method. President Bush has said he doesn't want to expand embryonic stem cell research because current methods of deriving stem cell lines require the destruction of the embryo.

"Now, scientists have apparently figured out how to derive such lines without destroying the embryo. His concern has been addressed. So why does he oppose this new method? I can think of no other reason than that, in his heart, he doesn't want this potentially life-saving research to proceed.

"Last month, he crushed the hopes of millions of Americans by vetoing HR 810, which would have greatly expanded federal support for stem cell research. Now, he's objecting to a new method of deriving stem cell lines that satisfies all the concerns he raised in his previous statements.

"I should add that this new scientific development, while encouraging, does not in any way eliminate the need to pass HR 810 into law. There are currently about 400 stem cell lines in the world today. Our top scientists currently can use federal funding to study just 21 of them, and all 21 are at least 5 years old and contaminated with mouse feeder cells. Passing HR 810 would immediately give our scientists access to hundreds of additional, higher-quality lines, and hasten our search for cures to diseases like Parkinson's, ALS, and juvenile diabetes."

http://harkin.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=262389