Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 - Veto Message from the President of the United States (H. Doc. No. 109-127)
STEM CELL RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2005--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 109-127)
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked a true tragedy for the medical history of this country. For the first time in 5 years, this President chose to veto a bill that has the potential to save millions of lives and impact millions more.
This veto will go down in history as a monumental step backward for medical research and a profound and significant disappointment for victims and their families. Hope was just a signature away and to millions of people in this country, this President could have become a hero simply by signing H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, into law. Instead, he chose to veto this bill and stall the advancement of science.
In contrast, by signing S. 3504, the President gave cover to opponents of lifesaving science. I would hope that this President would give more credit to the American public. S. 3504 is a useless bill that does nothing for victims of ravaging diseases and instead rubs salt in the wound.
Mr. Speaker, I stand here with many of my colleagues, pleading with the President to listen to 72 percent of Americans, the overwhelming majority of scientists, researchers, and even Nobel laureates who all recognize the promise that embryonic stem cell research holds.
Right now, only 22 of the 78 stem cell lines approved by President Bush are left. Many of these lines have been contaminated and are no longer useful, but more than 400,000 frozen embryos exist in the United States. To be clear, these are embryos that were extracted for in vitro fertilization. Most of them will be discarded. If the President had signed H.R. 810, they would have instead been used to save human lives. With further research, these cells may be used as ``replacement'' cells and tissues to treat many diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, AIDS, Lou Gehrig's disease and others.
Mr. Speaker, as a founder and current co-chair of the Working Group on Parkinson's Disease and as someone who lost my father to Parkinson's disease, I know firsthand just how important this legislation is and how important it is to open up the stem cell lines. I cannot be more clear: This bill is about saving lives and preventing devastating diseases from ravaging and ending people's lives.
In vetoing this legislation, this President has stalled science, ended hope, and reversed progress.
I stand with a bipartisan majority of Congress to express my severe disappointment with the President's decision to veto this lifesaving legislation.
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