Mitchell Statement on Decision by U.S. District Court of Appeals to Lift Stem Cell Research Injunction

Statement

U.S. Rep. Harry E. Mitchell today released the following statement regarding the decision by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to lift a temporary injunction barring federally funded stem cell research. [Source: Washington Post, September 10, 2010]

"I am pleased that the injunction barring federally funded stem cell research has been lifted. I strongly opposed the August injunction that halted the work underway at research centers throughout the country because I believe that research and science can be used effectively to discover treatments for the millions of Americans who suffer from a wide array of diseases and conditions.

Many scientists believe embryonic stem cells hold greater promise than adult stem cells for further scientific breakthroughs which will advance research on many devastating diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's diseases. I believe this research should continue."

Mitchell's first floor speech after taking office in 2007 was a call to overturn the stem cell research ban. He has also voted multiple times to overturn the ban since, including a measure, S. 5, that passed in June, 2007, on a bi-partisan vote of 247 to 176 but was ultimately vetoed by President Bush.

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