Westmoreland Opposes Stem Cell Bill

Press Release

Westmoreland Opposes Stem Cell Bill

U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland today voted against the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which mandates the use of federal tax dollars to destroy human embryos in order to harvest their stem cells for research. The bill expands the number of stem cell lines eligible for federally funded research.

"Every day, we take steps forward toward the next great medical breakthrough that will prevent or better treat diseases," Westmoreland said. "We can continue those breakthroughs without asking U.S. taxpayers to pay for the destruction of human embryos.

"The question before the House today was not whether or not we're going to have embryonic stem cell research. Whether I agree with it or not, it's legal in this country and it will continue. The question was whether taxpayers in my district and across the United States should foot the bill for a practice they see as morally wrong. If you believe, as I do, that life begins at conception and is sacred, it's difficult to support a process that destroys human lives.

"The House today missed a chance to bring both parties together to advance research that doesn't end a life. Just yesterday, three teams of scientists announced that they had successfully used skin cells to create embryonic stem cells without creating or destroying a life. Obviously, we can make great gains toward a healthier tomorrow without morally dubious science."

Despite all the talk of its great potential, embryonic stem cell research has yet to produce a single cure in humans. In contrast, research using non-controversial adult stem cells has proven successful in treating 73 different diseases and conditions. These non-controversial adult stem cells can be found in amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, fat tissue, spleen tissue, nasal cavity tissue, bone marrow, and other tissues in the body.

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