Rep. Pitts: Who's running NIH?

Rep. Pitts: Who's running NIH?
April 7, 2005

Congressman questions remarks made by NIH deputies on stem cells

Washington - Congressman Joe Pitts (R, PA-16) said today that statements made by NIH officials on the federal government's policy on embryonic stem cell research contradict comments made by NIH director Zerhouni to him last month. The statements were reported in various media outlets this morning.

Congressman Pitts asked, "If Dr. Zerhouni is telling me one thing and these institute directors are telling Senator Specter something else, who's running the show? Dr. Zerhouni should be concerned that these directors have conspired to contradict him and undermine President Bush's stem cell policy.

"The saddest part of this whole thing is that we're still not debating the merits of destroying human embryos to harvest their stem cells. If these directors want to repeal a policy that hasn't blocked one research initiative from being done, they should provide better justification," said Congressman Pitts.

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"The fact remains that patients are being saved today with adult stem cells. No patient has received a treatment with embryonic stem cells despite decades of trying. As long as we have a surplus of embryonic stem cells available, why should we take money from clinicians saving lives today to fund research with only hypothetical promise tomorrow?" said Congressman Pitts, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.

http://www.house.gov/pitts/press/releases/050407r-stemcell.htm