McCaskill Announces Support For Life-Saving Cures Initiative

McCaskill Announces Support For Life-Saving Cures Initiative

January 24, 2006

Kansas City and Saint Louis -- Saying that we need to promote hope for people with debilitating disease, not criminalizing the actions of those working to improve their quality of life, U.S. Senate candidate Claire McCaskill today announced her support for a Missouri ballot initiative that will guarantee the ability for research into lifesaving cures to take place in the state.

"We should be promoting hope for people suffering with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, ALS, spinal cord injuries, and other debilitating diseases," said McCaskill. "Stem cell research holds the promise of saving lives and alleviating the pain and suffering endured by so many of our people. This initiative enables Missouri doctors and researches to be at the forefront of lifesaving research and it has my support."

"Unfortunately, there are some, including Jim Talent, who believe that doctors who conduct this lifesaving research should be considered criminals and thrown in jail. But I believe that we should be promoting hope through lifesaving research, not trying to criminalize it."

The ballot initiative would amend the Missouri constitution to make it clear that any stem cell research, therapies or cures that are permitted by federal law will be allowed in Missouri . provided that such activities are conducted ethically and safely and do not involve human reproductive cloning to create babies.

In stark contrast, the legislation supported by Talent (S. 658, the "Brownback Bill"), would impose fines of up to $1 million and criminal penalties of up to 10 years in jail on scientists who conducted research into lifesaving cures.

"I just can't understand a United States Senator can be on the wrong side of finding groundbreaking cures for life-altering and life-threatening diseases," said McCaskill. "When I think about the conversations I have had with a mother whose child suffers from diabetes, or someone caring for a patient with Alzheimer's, it is so clear to me that they and their loved ones deserve so much better from their U.S. Senator."

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