Durbin Applauds Strong Bipartisan Endorsement by Senate of Life-Saving Embryonic Stem Cell Research Bill
DURBIN APPLAUDS STRONG BIPARTISAN ENDORSEMENT BY SENATE OF LIFE-SAVING EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH BILL
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
[Washington, D.C.] - Following a strong bipartisan vote in favor of legislation to expand embryonic stem cell research, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said the Senate sent a clear signal to President Bush to join the majority of Americans, scientists and patient advocates who support this life-saving medical research.
"With the stroke of his pen, President Bush can unleash the promise of medical research or dash the hopes of millions of Americans suffering from Parkinson's, diabetes, Alzheimer's and spinal cord injuries," Durbin said. "The President, who ran for office as a compassionate conservative, has a chance with the stem cell research bill to show he is a compassionate President as well."
Durbin said that people in Illinois are encouraging the President to sign the legislation, H.R. 810 the Castle-DeGette Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, including Gretchen Livingston. Livingston is the volunteer Legislative Chair for The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in Illinois and who's daughter Clara is a Type 1 Diabetic.
Others, like Lynda M. Chott, President of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Illinois Chapter, have warned that the current federal policy is impeding medical research and "posing a threat to those in the MS community and to others living with diseases that may be helped by stem cell research." She added, "The National Multiple Sclerosis Society supports legal, ethical biomedical research using all human cell types."
"The President has a choice: will he support ethically bound and scientifically sound medical research that will give millions of Americans a chance at a full and long life or is he going to continue to tie the hands of scientific community? For the sake of all Americans, I hope and pray he will reconsider his veto, listen to families of America and sign H.R. 810," said Durbin.
Durbin also noted that universities and research institutions have voiced support for the legislation. In a letter to Durbin, Robert J. Zimmer, President of the University of Chicago; Joseph White, President of the University of Illinois; and Henry Bienen, President of Northwestern, wrote: "If enacted, this legislation will have a profound impact on the ability of our researchers to continue their studies in Illinois and to help them identify treatments for a range of debilitating diseases and conditions. Scientists believe that stem cell therapies will eventually provide cures for diabetes, heart attack, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, and other currently incurable disorders. This legislation moves us one step closer to cures for patients in Illinois and around the world."
The Executive Director of the ALS Association of Greater Chicago, Julie A. Conney, said in a statement following the vote: "The ALS Association Greater Chicago Chapter believes it is important to explore all potential opportunities to find a treatment and cure for ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). It is estimated that over 1,000 Illinois residents are fighting this disease, a disease that has no cure and which is fatal in an average of two to five years after diagnosis. For people like Jim Thew, a 34 year old, married father of three and a Gulf War Veteran living with ALS, stem cell research provides additional hope that one day an effective treatment and cure for ALS will be found."
http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=258871&&