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Stem Cell Update – Senate Pulls Stem Cell "Date Change" Provision

Last week, the Senate was expected to consider a "date change" stem cell provision that would have allowed federally funded researchers access to additional embryonic stem cell lines created before June 15, 2007.  Unfortunately, the stem cell “date change” provision was pulled from the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill.  Despite our disappointment, many important issues remain on this bill, the largest non-defense spending bill. Please read the floor statement of Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin, which was made immediately prior to consideration of the bill, announcing that the stem cell provision had been removed from the funding bill and explained why.  Be assured that neither PAN nor our congressional champions will give up the fight for embryonic stem cell research freedom. Unofficial Transcript: I WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR, MR. PRESIDENT, TO MY FELLOW SENATORS THAT THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE BILL THAT THEY WOULD NOTICE NOW, THE SUBSTITUTE THAT WE JUST PUT AT THE DESK. THE AMENDMENT THAT SENATOR SPECTER AND I JUST ADDED. IT BASICALLY STRIKES THE LANGUAGE IN THE BILL DEALING WITH STEM CELLS. NOW, AGAIN, I MUST SAY THAT I DO THIS WITH A LOT OF REGRET. SENATOR SPECTER AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER FOR MANY YEARS TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH IN THIS COUNTRY. WE IN FACT WORKED TOGETHER ON THE FIRST BILL THAT PRESIDENT BUSH VETOED IN HIS FIRST FOUR YEARS WHICH WAS OUR STEM CELL BILL. THE ONLY BILL THAT HE VETOED IN FOUR YEARS. WE THEN CAME BACK WITH ANOTHER STEM CELL BILL THIS YEAR, AND HE VETOED THAT ALSO. THAT VETO OVERRIDE HAS NOT TAKEN PLACE YET. AND SO TOGETHER WE PUT SOME ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IN THIS BILL AGAIN TO FURTHER THE CAUSE OF TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH AND GET EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH COVERED. HOWEVER, WE RECEIVED A STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY FROM THE ADMINISTRATION JUST YESTERDAY SAYING THAT THEY OPPOSED OUR BILL FOR TWO REASONS. IT SAYS IT INCLUDES AN IRRESPONSIBLE AND EXCESSIVE LEVEL OF SPENDING. AND THEN IT SAYS THE ADMINISTRATION STRONGLY OPPOSES PROVISIONS IN THIS BILL THAT OVERTURN THE PRESIDENT'S POLICY REGARDING HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH. WELL, I GUESS IN THE SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE WE WANTED TO SHOW THAT WE ARE WILLING TO COMPROMISE. WE'RE WILLING TO TRY TO MEET THE PRESIDENT HALFWAY. AND SO IN THAT SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE, WE KNOW THE PRESIDENT'S STRONG FEELINGS AGAINST THIS. I THINK THEY'RE MISGUIDED, BUT NONETHELESS. PLUS THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE YET BEFORE THE SENATE, WE WILL HAVE A VETO OVERRIDE VOTE ON A STEM CELL BILL THAT HE VETOED EARLIER THIS YEAR. AND SO WITH THAT THERE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL HAVE THE VOTES TO OVERRIDE OR NOT. WE MAY. WITH THAT, WE THOUGHT, AT LEAST WE WOULD SHOW OUR GOOD FAITH IN SAYING TO THE PRESIDENT, OKAY, WE'RE WILLING TO COMPROMISE. WE'LL TAKE THAT LANGUAGE OUT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE JUST DONE IN THE AMENDMENT THAT WE HAVE AT THE DESK. WE'VE TAKEN THAT LANGUAGE OUT OF THE BILL. I WOULD SAY, HOWEVER, ON THE OTHER ASPECT OF IT IN TERMS OF THE ADMINISTRATION SAYING THAT IT'S AN IRRESPONSIBLE AND EXCESSIVE LEVEL OF SPENDING -- AND I WILL SAY MORE ABOUT THIS IN MY OPENING STATEMENT. BUT THE FACT IS THAT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF SENATOR SPECTER WHEN I WAS RANKING MEMBER, THIS APPROPRIATIONS BILL EXCEEDED THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET REQUEST EVERY SINGLE YEAR. I THANK SENATOR SPECTER FOR THAT. HE PROVIDED GREAT LEADERSHIP ON THAT. BUT THE PRESIDENT NEVER ONCE THREATENED TO VETO ONE OF THOSE BILLS, AND NEVER DID, EVEN THOUGH WE EXCEEDED HIS BUDGET. THIS YEAR, HOWEVER, THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID THAT HE'S GOING TO VETO IT BECAUSE WE EXCEED HIS BUDGET. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? JUST BECAUSE THE CONGRESS CHANGED HANDS? I DON'T THINK SENATOR SPECTER OR I GIVE A HOOT ABOUT THAT. WHAT WE CARE IS ABOUT IS INVESTING IN THE EDUCATION, HEALTH, BIOTRAINING, ALL THE OTHER GOOD THINGS THAT THIS BILL DOES. AND SO I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT THAT IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I THINK IT'S VERY RESPONSIBLE. WE MET OUR BUDGET ALLOCATIONS. WE ARE WITHIN OUR PAY-GO LIMITATIONS. WE DO NOT EXCEED OUR BUDGET ALLOCATION IN THIS BILL WHATSOEVER. SO, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR FOR OTHER SENATORS THAT WE ARE ON THIS BILL, THAT WE HAVE DROPPED THE STEM CELL LANGUAGE, AS I SAID. AND I DID THIS IN CONSULTATION WITH SENATOR SPECTER AS A GOOD FAITH, REACHING OUT TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO SAY WE'RE WILLING TO COMPROMISE ON THIS. WE'LL TAKE IT OUT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO STAND FIRM ON OUR FUNDING LEVELS BECAUSE THEY ARE REASONABLE. THEY'RE WITHIN OUR BUDGET ALLOCATION. THEY DON'T BUST THE BUDGET. AND SO THAT, MR. PRESIDENT, I WILL YIELD THE FLOOR TO MY PARTNER AND MY GREAT PARTNER IN THIS FOR MANY YEARS, SENATOR SPECTER, FOR HIS OPENING STATEMENT.