(Washington, DC): -- Congressman Michael R. McNulty (D-Green Island) today released the following statement, in which he strongly denounced President Bush's veto of stem cell research legislation, and reaffirmed his own strong support of expanded research by voting to override the veto.

"Despite the scores of misguided, deficit-inflating bills that the Republican-led Congress has delivered to the President over the last six years, it is on legislation with the potential to bring about medical breakthroughs to cure life-threatening illnesses which the president has issued the very first veto of his presidency.

"I was proud to support HR 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, when it passed the House last year, and I am proud to vote to override the President's veto of HR 810 today.

"HR 810 increases the number of stem cell lines eligible for federally funded research under very strict medical requirements and ethical guidelines, and makes it explicitly clear that research on stem cells derived from embryos may only be done if all of the following requirements are met:

1) Embryos used to derive stem cells were originally created for fertility
     treatment purposes (not from cloning) and are in excess of clinical need;

2) Individuals seeking fertility treatments for whom the embryos were
     created have determined that the embryos will not be implanted in a
     woman and will otherwise be discarded; and

3) The individuals for whom the embryos were created have provided
    written consent for embryo donation.

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