Floor Speech – June 22, 2004

John Kerry’s misguided campaign tactic

Mr. Speaker,

Yesterday, John Kerry joined the growing chorus of those who are just plain confused on stem cell research.

There are two different types of stem cell research – adult and embryonic.

Adult works.  Embryonic does not.  Look at the science.

The private sector knows this.

The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation claims that embryo stem cell research is the most promising research.

Yet, it devotes only $3 million of its $80 million research and education budget to embryo stem cell research.

They spent $15 million on adult stem cell research.

Why do they say embryo research has the most potential but they spend five times as much money to adult stem cell research?

Adult stem cells have already successfully treated: Parkinson´s, blindness, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, leukemia, non-Hodgkin´s lymphomas, multiple sclerosis.  The list goes on.

There have been no successful treatments of humans with embryo stem cells.

Believing that embryo stem cells have unsurpassed potential to treat diseases, asks the American people to invest in research with no hope of a return on that investment.

Let the truth prevail on this. 

Let’s fund what works.  Let’s fund what is saving lives today.  Let’s do the right thing and not play politics.

I yield back.