Congress to Send President Stem Cell Bill that Offers Hope to Millions

Washington, D.C. - Dozens of patients and their families joined Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Members of Congress today as they enrolled a bill that offers real hope to millions of Americans suffering from debilitating diseases and conditions by greatly expanding scientists' access to embryonic stem cell lines. The House passed the bill today after the Senate did so in April.

'Our bill expands research on stem cell lines that would otherwise be discarded, acknowledges the important ethical issues at stake and enacts stronger research guidelines than exist in the President's current policy.  And because we believe that all forms of promising research should move forward, our legislation includes a provision that supports the advancement of alternative forms of stem cell research,' said Reid.  'Countless Americans have been diagnosed with cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries and other diseases since President Bush vetoed this legislation a year ago.  Democrats and Republicans did the right thing by passing this bill again, and it is not too late for the President to do the right thing as well.'

'Every family in America is just one diagnosis, one phone call, or one accident away from needing the benefits of embryonic stem cell research.  Science has the potential to answer the prayers of America's families,' Pelosi said.  'Today we sign this legislation, which passed both Houses of Congress with broad bipartisan support, in order to find cures, save lives, and give hope.'