Congressman McHenry Vocally Opposes Bill for Embryonic Research

Congressman McHenry Vocally Opposes Bill for Embryonic Research

Congressman speaks on floor of U.S. House in opposition to H.R. 810, controversial legislation that would mandate federal funding on research that would destroy human embryos.

Washington, May 24 - Congressman Patrick T. McHenry (R-NC-10) will today speak on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in opposition to H.R. 810, a controversial bill that would use federal tax dollars to pursue research that requires the destruction of human embryos.

The bill, sponsored by liberal Republican congressman Michael Castle (DE) would direct the National Institutes of Health to fund stem cell research using human embryos. While embryonic stem cell research is legal under current law and is currently being used in private sector research, no reliable therapies have resulted from the research. However, 58 successful treatments have resulted from adult stem cell research, which does not destroy human embryos. McHenry supports legislation, also offered today, that would increase funding on research of adult stem cells.

"Stem cell research is already alive and well," said Congressman McHenry. "Adult stem cells are currently being used to treat people, and successfully. This bill's approach, however, will remove stem cells from human embryos. This will kill the embryos, and whether we like to think about it or not, embryos are human beings. Every human life begins as a human embryo, and by extracting their stem cells, H.R. 810 will use taxpayer money to kill human life."

The bill, however, is expected to pass the U.S. House, and then be brought to the Senate for consideration. President Bush last week promised a veto of the bill. A 2/3 supermajority in both the House and Senate would be required upon a veto in order to become law.

http://mchenry.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=27888