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For Immediate Release: Contact: Lisa Lyons Wright

July 19, 2006 ph: 202-225-2417 or cell 202-225-9554 or

<Lisa.wright@mail.house.gov>

**Rep. Roscoe Bartlett Thanks President Bush for H.R. 810, Urges
Colleague's Support for Another Vote on His Bill, S. 2754**

**Washington, DC -- Congressman Roscoe Bartlett attended the event at
the White House today at which President Bush announced the veto of H.R.
810. Below are his prepared remarks for the debate by the House in
support of sustaining the President's veto and urging the House to
support another vote on his bill, S. 2754. The Senate approved S. 2754
by a vote of 100- 0. The House approved the bill by a vote of 273 --
154. However, under the House Suspension Calendar rules under which the
bill was considered, a 2/3 majority of those present was required. The
bill fell just short of that supermajority requirement effectively
defeating the bill. Under House rules, it is possible to obtain an
agreement for another vote on the bill. Attached are excerpted copies of
the President's transcript from the veto event and text of S. 2754 as
approved by the Senate.**

"Earlier today, I attended the President's news conference with
Snowflake babies and their families at which the President announced his
veto of H.R. 810. Snowflake babies were adopted as 'excess' embryos.
'Excess' embryos would be destroyed with taxpayers' dollars under H.R.
810 to produce pluripotent stem cells for science. How can anyone look
at these Snowflake babies and hear their voices and say it would be ok
to kill them to provide raw fodder for medical research? President Bush
transformed what could have been a day of tragedy into a day of triumph
by vetoing H.R. 810 -- and by taking additional steps to support
pluripotent stem cell research that does not destroy embryos.

"To the proponents of H.R. 810, scientists, doctors, and the public,
pluripotent stem cells hold the most promise for understanding human
diseases and treating devastating conditions. That is why pluripotent
stem cells are coveted.

"Yesterday, knowing the President would veto H.R. 810, this body had the
opportunity to approve a bill the President said he would sign to use
taxpayer dollars to obtain pluripotent stem cells without destroying
embryos. This opportunity is not lost to this Congress.

"I urge everyone in this Chamber to sustain President Bush's veto and
support bringing back for a vote the Bartlett/Santorum bill (S.2754)
which represents common ground into promising ways the federal
government can support pluripotent stem cell research without
sacrificing life for medicine."

For Immediate Release                              July 19, 2006

 

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

ON STEM CELL RESEARCH POLICY

 

The East Room

2:08 P.M. EDT

excerpt:

I\'m disappointed that Congress failed to pass another bill that would
have promoted good research.  This bill was sponsored by Senator
Santorum and Senator Arlen Specter and **Congressman Roscoe Bartlett. 
Thanks for coming, Roscoe. ** (Applause.)  It would have authorized
additional federal funding for promising new research that could produce
cells with the abilities of embryonic cells, but without the destruction
of human embryos.  This is an important piece of legislation.  This bill
was unanimously approved by the Senate; it received 273 votes in the
House of Representatives, but was blocked by a minority in the House
using procedural maneuvers.  I\'m disappointed that the House failed to
authorize funding for this vital and ethical research.

 

It makes no sense to say that you\'re in favor of finding cures for
terrible diseases as quickly as possible, and then block a bill that
would authorize funding for promising and ethical stem cell research. 
At a moment when ethical alternatives are becoming available, we cannot
lose the opportunity to conduct research that would give hope to those
suffering from terrible diseases, and help move our nation beyond the
current controversies over embryonic stem cell research.

 

We must pursue this research.  And so I direct the Secretary of Health
and Human Services, Secretary Leavitt, and the Director of the National
Institutes of Health to use all the tools at their disposal to aid the
search for stem cell techniques that advance promising medical science
in an ethical and morally responsible way.  (Applause.)

S 2754 ES

109th CONGRESS

2d Session

**S. 2754**

**AN ACT**

To derive human pluripotent stem cell lines using techniques that do not
knowingly harm embryos.

> *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
> United States of America in Congress assembled,*

### SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

> This Act may be cited as the \`Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell
> Therapies Enhancement Act\'.

### SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

> It is the purpose of this Act to\--
>
> \(1\) intensify research that may result in improved understanding of
> or treatments for diseases and other adverse health conditions; and
>
> \(2\) promote the derivation of pluripotent stem cell lines, including
> from postnatal sources, without creating human embryos for research
> purposes or discarding, destroying, or knowingly harming a human
> embryo or fetus.

### SEC. 3. ALTERNATIVE HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL RESEARCH.

> Part B of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284 et
> seq.) is amended by inserting after section 498C the following:

### \`SEC. 409J. ALTERNATIVE HUMAN PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL RESEARCH.

> \`(a) In General- In accordance with section 492, the Secretary shall
> conduct and support basic and applied research to develop techniques
> for the isolation, derivation, production, or testing of stem cells
> that, like embryonic stem cells, are capable of producing all or
> almost all of the cell types of the developing body and may result in
> improved understanding of or treatments for diseases and other adverse
> health conditions, but are not derived from a human embryo.
>
> \`(b) Guidelines- Not later than 90 days after the date of the
> enactment of this section, the Secretary, after consultation with the
> Director, shall issue final guidelines to implement subsection (a),
> that\--
>
> \`(1) provide guidance concerning the next steps required for
> additional research, which shall include a determination of the extent
> to which specific techniques may require additional basic or animal
> research to ensure that any research involving human cells using these
> techniques would clearly be consistent with the standards established
> under this section;
>
> \`(2) prioritize research with the greatest potential for near-term
> clinical benefit; and
>
> \`(3) consistent with subsection (a), take into account techniques
> outlined by the President\'s Council on Bioethics and any other
> appropriate techniques and research.
>
> \`(c) Reporting Requirements- Not later than January 1 of each year,
> the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the appropriate committees
> of the Congress a report describing the activities carried out under
> this section during the fiscal year, including a description of the
> research conducted under this section.
>
> \`(d) Rule of Construction- Nothing in this section shall be construed
> to affect any policy, guideline, or regulation regarding embryonic
> stem cell research, human cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer, or
> any other research not specifically authorized by this section.
>
> \`(e) Definition-
>
> \`(1) IN GENERAL- In this section, the term \`human embryo\' shall
> have the meaning given such term in the applicable appropriations Act.
>
> \`(2) APPLICABLE ACT- For purposes of paragraph (1), the term
> \`applicable appropriations Act\' means, with respect to the fiscal
> year in which research is to be conducted or supported under this
> section, the Act making appropriations for the Department of Health
> and Human Services for such fiscal year, except that if the Act for
> such fiscal year does not contain the term referred to in paragraph
> (1), the Act for the previous fiscal year shall be deemed to be the
> applicable appropriations Act.
>
> \`(f) Authorization of Appropriations- There is authorized to be
> appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years
> 2007 through 2009, to carry out this section.\'.

Passed the Senate July 18, 2006.

Attest:

Secretary.

109th CONGRESS

2d Session

**S. 2754**

**AN ACT**

To derive human pluripotent stem cell lines using techniques that do not
knowingly harm embryos.

*END*

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