Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005
STEM CELL THERAPEUTIC AND RESEARCH ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - May 24, 2005)
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Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I am a strong supporter of stem cell research. It saves lives, it prolongs life, and it helps unhealthy people remain existent on this earth.
I am a diabetic myself, and for the last decade I have been working with stem cell research in my own district. The Karmanos Cancer Institute, world renowned in our community and in Michigan, and part of the former Detroit Medical Center, is a leader in research.
This bill deals with cord research, umbilical cord research, not controversial. Medical professionals and others support umbilical cord research.
Umbilical cord research is the cord that is separated after a woman delivers her child. In many instances, 90 percent of the time, those cords are displaced and thrown away. What this bill will help us do is first of all gather those cords across America to save lives, to renew organs, and to continue life as we know it.
So I rise in support of H.R. 2520 as another means for us to prolong life, to give life, from stem cords, umbilical cords of women that are heretofore thrown out.
In our community, we are educating women and asking for their permission that medical research is able to use the cords, the umbilical cords of the fetus. It is new, it is exciting, and it is happening all over the world. Our country is first in medical science; and this act that we are taking today will continue research and development, healthier lives and longer lives.
Support H.R. 2520 and let us bring America up so that we can save lives, prolong lives, and build a real strong America.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the ``Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act''.
This bill creates a new federal program to collect and store umbilical cord blood stem cells and reauthorize and expands the current bone marrow registry program.
Umbilical cord blood units, typically discarded at hospitals, can be an unlimited source of stem cells with representation of all races and ethnicities.
According to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), African-Americans have only a 30 percent chance of finding a stem cell match within their own families and often require healthy stem cells from an unrelated individual, typically another African American. Of the NMDP's registry of donors, only 8 percent are from African-Americans.
I support the use of embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells and cord blood research to find cures. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill and H.R. 810 ``Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act'' introduced by Representatives MIKE CASTLE and DIANA DEGETTE that would lift Bush's 2001 ban on the use of federal dollars for research using any mew embryonic stem cell lines.
All avenues of stem cell research need to be explored. The current embryonic stem cell policy must be changed.
We can no longer tie the hands of our scientists and researchers when millions of lives are at stake.
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