Langevin Reaches Out to President for Stem Cell Meeting

LANGEVIN REACHES OUT TO PRESIDENT FOR STEM CELL MEETING
June 15, 2005

(Washington, D.C.)-In a letter sent to the White House earlier this week, Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) requested a meeting with President George W. Bush to discuss the issue of embryonic stem cell research. Langevin's letter to the President comes on the heels of a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist urging him to schedule a vote on S. 471, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, the companion bill to H.R. 810, as soon as possible.

Langevin was a key supporter in the passage H.R. 810 in United States House of Representatives on May 24.

"I am convinced that our government must support and oversee further research into this promising field that could offer countless people new hope," Langevin wrote to the President. "In recent months, as Members prepared for the vote on H.R. 810, I was honored to meet with many of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, to share my unique perspective and serious study on this issue. I truly believe that as the science advances, the furthering of education on this topic is critical for all policy makers. As you prepare for the possibility of being presented with this legislation, I would consider it a great privilege to meet with you to discuss the moral, ethical and scientific complexities in greater detail."

Three years ago, the Bush Administration enacted restrictive regulations that allow federal funding for research solely on those stem cell lines derived prior to August 2001. Earlier this year, Langevin and Representatives Mike Castle (R-DE) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) introduced the bi-partisan Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which would direct the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health to fund research on stem cell lines derived after August 9, 2001. Under the bill, only those excess embryonic stem cells derived from in vitro fertilization and slated for destruction could be used for research, with government oversight to ensure ethical research procedures.

The letter further states: "Millions of Americans are suffering from diseases and chronic conditions for which this research holds the promise of treatments or cures, and a majority of the American public favors the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding embryonic stem cell research. We simply must provide our nation's scientists with the tools they need to proceed down this historic path. This research represents the most noble activity in which our government can engage: the protection, promotion, and, indeed, affirmation of the lives of our most vulnerable citizens."

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ri02_langevin/pr061505bushstemcell.html