Terry Everett, July 24, 2006

Last week, George Bush took the unprecedented step of exercising his first presidential veto to stop legislation passed by Congress, allowing Federal funding of experimentation on human embryonic stem cells. While the president was roundly criticized for the move, he did the right thing by seeking to strike a balance between protecting life and also giving the hope of life.

Federal law prohibits the use of tax dollars to create new human embryos for research. Federal financing of activities that destroy, discard, injure, or kill existing human embryos is also illegal. It must also be made clear that the prohibition against the use of Federal funds for embryonic stem cell research does not extend to the private sector. Privately funded research remains legal in the United States. President Bush believes, as do I, that the government should not help fund the further creation and destruction of human embryos for scientific research. There are better ways to save human life than by taking life.

Supporters of human embryonic stem cell research talk in general terms of how they are the only ones supporting the use of stem cells for healing purposes. They give the impression that embryonic stem cell research is the only legitimate form of such study. This is highly misleading. Non-embryonic stem cells – Adult stem cells - are gaining much attention in medical research. Harvesting stem cells from placentas and umbilical cord blood cells, a process which does not threaten life, also holds great promise for providing medical treatment and cures.

Studies have already shown that cord blood stem cells have the capability to change into other cells, thus giving them the potential to aid in regenerating organs and treat many fatal, terminal and debilitating conditions, including spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and heart disease. Cord blood cells have already been used to improve the health of persons suffering from sickle cell disease, leukemia, spinal cord injury, and some neurological diseases. Cord blood transplants also enjoy the advantage of not needing to be a perfect match in order to treat a patient.

In May 2005, when the U.S. House voted to expand Federal government support of embryonic stem cell research, I said no. I voted against the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (HR 810) which would have funded such activity. I said at the time that I hoped President Bush would eventually veto the bill. Accordingly, last week I voted to uphold the president’s veto of HR 810 and was pleased to see the veto sustained.

Instead of supporting taking a life to save a life, I cosponsored and voted for the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act (HR 2520) which also passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2005 and was signed into law that same year. It supports Federal funding for Adult stem cells taken from placentas and umbilical cord blood. It authorized the collection and storage of 150,000 units of cord blood, ensuring that the nation’s inventory of cord blood is genetically diverse and large enough to help patients secure timely transplants.

Stem cell research is truly an exciting area of medical study and the use of Adult stem cells and cord blood is a sound way to ensure that good science and ethics can work together for our benefit. There should be no need to take a life to save a life in pursuing stem cell cures.

Congressman Terry Everett, a Republican, represents Alabama's Second Congressional District, which includes the state capitol, Montgomery.