Embryonic Stem Cell Research to Finally Become Law?

Lost in Friday's stampede of people heading out for a festive 4th of July was the news that Senate Republican leadership has finally deigned to allow the full Senate to vote on H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.

H.R. 810 would allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on cells taken only from embryos that "have been donated from in-vitro fertilization clinics, were created for the purposes of fertility treatment, and were in excess of the clinical need of the individuals seeking such treatment." The embryos are already slated to be destroyed.

The House passed H.R. 810 in May 2005 by a vote of 238 to 194. The vote was primarily along partisan lines, with 50 Republicans joining Democrats in supporting it. The bill has languished in the Republican-led Senate for over a year, out of fear that the bill would pass. President Bush has long opposed embryonic stem cell research on ideological grounds.

On June 30, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Democratic Leader Harry Reid reached agreement to schedule Senate vote on three separate stem research bills, including H.R. 810. The votes will likely occur in July 2006, and H.R. 810 is expected to easily pass.

President Bush continues to threaten to veto any bill that allows federal funding of embryonic stem research. The Senate may muster the 60% majority vote to override a presidential veto. However...

It's not clear that a large enough majority of the House of Representatives would vote to override a presidential veto of H.R. 810. The debate over embryonic stem cell research in both houses of Congress is certain to be fierce, passionate and headline-grabbing.

Embryonic stem cells are thought by most scientists and researchers to hold potential cures for spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, and hundreds of rare immune system and genetic disorders. Most scientists believe that embryonic stem cells hold far greater promise of healing than do stem cells taken from adults.

While US public sentiment overwhelmingly supports embryonic stem cell research, the issue is strongly opposed by the religious right, and could serve to rally the Republican base before the crucial November 2006 Congressional elections.

The three stem cell research bills slated to be voted on by the Senate are:

H.R. 810, Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005

A bill, introduced in May 2006 by Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) that "would require National Institute of Health to research and fund methods of creating embryonic stem cell lines without destroying human embryos."

S.3504, Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006, a bill introduced in June 2006 by conservative Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Rick Santorum (R-PA) that would "prohibit the solicitation or acceptance of tissue from fetuses gestated for research purposes."

More will be known about the timing and complex politics of these three stem cell votes when the Senate readjourns on July 10, 2006.

Recommended Reading
Text of H.R. 810: Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005
Pros & Cons of Embryonic Stem Cell Research