Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005--Veto Message from the President of the United States

STEM CELL RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2005--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 109-127) -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 25, 2006)

SPEECH OF HON. PATRICK J. KENNEDY OF RHODE ISLAND IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2006

* Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my extreme disappointment with the President's decision to use his veto power to reject the Congress's will to see H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, become public law, and I stand in support of millions of Americans who will benefit from the promises of embryonic stem cell research. Each year, I meet several hundred, perhaps thousands, of constituents who share with me how Federal support of embryonic stem cell research could vastly change their lives. There are a few constituents in particular who stand out on this issue. Late last year, Maddie and Tommy Poulin, just 4 and 5 years old, traveled from Rhode Island to Washington. These two young children talked with me about what their life is like with Type I Diabetes. In a journal they left with me, Maddie included an entry that said, ``I really hope you can help us find a cure, we're not asking for a lot, we just want to live without needles.''

* Stem cell research also holds promise for those suffering from Parkinson's disease, like my good friend, and the distinguished Senator from Rhode Island, Claiborne Pell. Senator Pell's contributions to our country are too numerous to list, but I know his legacy is honored everyday when individuals are able to attend college with the assistance of a Pell Grant. He stood up for those without a voice for over 35 years, and now it is time for us to stand up for him.

* Sue Sgambato, a cancer survivor living in Rhode Island, visits my office regularly to advocate on behalf of patients in our State. Rhode Island has one of the highest rates of cancer in the Nation, and stem cell research may provide clues on how to beat this devastating disease. I cannot and will not stand by and let one more person be diagnosed with cancer, Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's disease, or multiple sclerosis without holding the President responsible for his action today.

* It is absolutely tragic that President Bush has used his very first and only veto on an issue of such importance to American families. Every family in America has a loved one who is suffering from a disease that could benefit from the advances of stem cell research. This veto is only the latest action that President Bush has taken against medical research. He has also level funded the National Institutes of Health, and cut programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), limiting our Nation's ability to find better treatments and cures for diseases.

* President Bush had a choice today, and he chose politics over people. I want to assure my friends in Congress, as well as the people of the First District of Rhode Island, that today's veto is not the end to this debate, it is only the beginning. Congress has voted overwhelmingly in support of stem cell research, and this bill remains a top priority for a majority of elected officials. I promise that I will continue to do everything within my power to get this legislation back to the President's desk, and to get this language into our public law. We will be back, and we will succeed.

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