July 21, 2001
By Lizette Alvarez
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/21/politics/21stem.html
WASHINGTON, July 20- A bipartisan group of 61 senators sent letters to President Bush today that urged him to permit the use of federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research.
One letter, begun by Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts was signed by 59 senators who want to see a ban on such research lifted. A second letter, signed by 13 Republicans, was put together by Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, who is a forceful supporter of embryonic stem cell research. Some lawmakers signed both letters.
Of the two letters, Mr. Specter's stakes out the more contentious position. In it the Senators urge Mr. Bush not only to permit federally financed scientists to work on cells extracted from from human embryos but also to support legislation that would allow scientists to experiment directly on the embryos.
A Congressional ban on embryo research prohibits both types of experiments. But last year the Clinton administration found a way around that ban and issued rules allowing research on stem cells that are now growing in self perpetuating colonies, having already been extracted from embyros. Mr. Specter...did not say whether that included support for his proposal to lift the ban on direct experimentation on live embryos.
...abortion opponents say the research destroys embryos and, therefore, violates human life.
"This is way beyond politics,' Mr. Bush added. "This is an issue that speaks to morality and science and the juxtaposition of both. And the American people deserve a president who will listen to the people and make a serious, thoughtful judgment on this complex issue, and that's exactly how I'm going to handle it."
"Brushing aside the promising discovery and developments- announced almost weekly- in research using adult stem cells (obtained easily without taking an innocent life), Senator Specter's Appropriations subcommittee has sponsored a series of hearings on the subject to raise awareness of, and support for, research using stem cells obtained by killing human embryos...
Senator Sam Brownback, who leads the opposition to S. 2015, states the case succinctly: Killing human embryos for federally-funded stem cell research is "illegal, immoral, and unnecessary.""
(http://www.nccbuscc.org/prolife/publicat/lifeinsight/augsept2000.htm)