Congressman Platts' Statement on the Passage of Stem Cell Research Legislation

The enactment of H.R. 810 (The Stem Cell Research Enactment Act) and H.R. 2520 (The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act) is an important part of our nation's efforts to develop medical treatments for spinal cord injuries and disorders such as juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's, and heart disease threatening the lives of millions of our citizens.  This legislation seeks to expand existing policy regarding federally funded stem cell research in a responsible, ethical, and comprehensive manner.

H.R. 810 authorizes federal funding for embryonic stem cell research only when three specific conditions are satisfied.  First, the stem cell line at issue must be derived from an embryo originally created for the purposes of fertility treatment, not "cloned" or otherwise created for the purposes of experimentation.  These embryos are no more than 5-10 days old and consist of no more than 40-150 undifferentiated cells.  Second, the individuals seeking fertility treatment must affirm that the embryos at issue are in excess of their clinical needs and that they would otherwise choose to discard the embryos as medical waste.  Third, the individuals donating an embryo must provide written informed consent and are prohibited from receiving any financial or other inducements.

H.R. 2520 creates a new federal program to collect and store umbilical-cord-blood stem cells and expands the current bone marrow registry program.  The collected cord blood would be made available for transplantation and peer reviewed research and could only be acquired with the informed consent of the donor.   

As a pro-life member of Congress, I have long struggled over the issue of federally funded embryonic stem cell research.  As part of my deliberations over the past several years, I have sought out expert opinions on all sides of the issue and have met with both the opponents and proponents of federal funding.  I have carefully weighed the philosophical, ethical, and scientific arguments. Ultimately, I have come to view embryonic stem cell research - strictly regulated in the above manner - as ethically acceptable and imperative for the well-being of millions of disease-afflicted Americans.  Importantly, there is little debate over the moral or ethical status of in vitro fertilization, yet it results in the creation of multiple embryos, which are frozen and - if not used by the individuals seeking fertility treatment or adopted - discarded as medical waste.     

Although H.R. 810 and H.R. 2520 will both help to advance stem cell research, many leading medical and science experts contend that embryonic stem cells - due to their genetic diversity and unique ability to evolve into any cell type - have the greatest long-term potential for successfully treating a wider range of diseases.  While stopping embryonic stem cell research does not guarantee that one more baby will be born, the denial of federal funds for this promising area of research will likely slow or halt medical breakthroughs for countless individuals of all ages who are suffering the devastating consequences of life-threatening and debilitating diseases.  Under these circumstances, I believe the course of action which will best promote and enhance life is the limited approach of H.R. 810, in conjunction with H.R. 2520's umbilical-cord-blood program.  I thus voted in favor of both pieces of legislation when they came before the United States House of Representatives for consideration.

H.R. 810 and H.R. 2520 passed the House by votes of 238-194 and 431-1 respectively.