Stem Cell Politics

Federal funding for stem cell research is back in the news. Congress is considering two bills that concern stem cell research. Here is a detailed report of the pending legislation. This report is co-written by Senator Norm Coleman who is the author of the HOPE Act discussed below. One of the bills passed the senate yesterday and is cleared to go to the president. It was sponsored by Senator Harry Reid and would provide federal funding for embyonic stem cell research. The other bill is called the HOPE Act. It would provide funding for non-embyonic stem cell research. It is currently hung up in committees. Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma is a co-sponsor of the HOPE Act and is a proponent of adult stem cell research and stem cells from cord blood. He has a plethora of information about stem cell research on his website. Also, Bradley Hughes has this article on the Family Research Council website about adult stem cell research. It is an informative read.

I urge you to contact the White House and urge President Bush to veto the embyonic stem cell funding bill like he has done in the past. I also urge you to contact your senators and representatives and urge them to support the HOPE Act.

Jerome