# Presentation: 370012

## Stem Cell Politics on Capitol Hill

**Congressman Mark Kirk**
- 10th Congressional District of Illinois

## Need for Better Access to Lines

- Originally 78 stem cell derivations that were declared eligible for US federal funding
- Now only 22 actually available for distribution and study.
- All NIH-approved lines were isolated in contact with mouse ‘feeder’ cells.
- Declared contaminated by FDA for treatment purposes.

## Remain at Forefront of Biomedical Research 

- Americans are innovators, explorers, inventors and scientists.
- Since 1790 the United States Patent Office has granted more than 6 million patents
- Americans invented the light bulb, telegraph, telephone, skyscraper, computer, and space shuttle

## Remain at Forefront of Biomedical Research

## Remain at Forefront of Biomedical Research

- Countries colored in green represent about 3.4 billion people, more than half of the world’s population.
- Map reflects national stem cell research policy.
- Black dots represent locations of leading genome sequencing research centers.  The presence of Genome Sequencing Centers indicates a high level of scientific infrastructure.

## Remain at Forefront of Biomedical Research

- Permissive policy means public funds available for various stem cell derivation techniques.
- Flexible policy means public funds available for research on stem cells no longer needed for reproduction.

## Remain at Forefront of Biomedical Research

- As of January 2005, there were 127 Stem Cell lines created that were ineligible for U.S. federal funding under the Administration’s current policy.
- Many of these lines were created in South Korea, Sweden, Israel, and the United Kingdom.

## Remain at Forefront of Biomedical Research

- Of the 22 lines that are currently available for NIH funding under the current policy, only 10, less than half, are from labs in the United States. The rest originate in Australia, South Korea, Israel, and Sweden.

## Castle/DeGette Bill

- On May 24, 2005, H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 238 to 194.
- 50 Republicans voted for this bill
- Massive Whip Operation

## Castle/DeGette Bill

- Allows federally funded research on stem cells that have been derived with the following requirements :
- Originally created for fertility treatment purposes
- In excess of clinical need
- Otherwise discarded
- Written consent provided

## Chances in the Senate 

- Prospects changed when Majority Leader Frist changed his position
- Senate rules different from House
- Challenge to prevent amendments such as ban on SCNT that could taint the bill

## Senate Cosponsors (42)

**Sponsor**: Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)
- Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
- Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)
- Sen. Evan Bayh, (D-IN)
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman, (D-NM)
- Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
- Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
- Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE)
- Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)
- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
- Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
- Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN)
- Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
- Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
- Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
- Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI)
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
- Sen. Tom Harkin, (D-IA)
- Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-U)
- Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)

- Sen. James Jeffords (I-VT)
- Sen. Tim Johnson, (D-SD)
- Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
- Sen. Kerry, John (D-MA)
- Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)
- Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
- Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
- Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
- Sen. Carl Levin, (D-MI)
- Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)
- Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
- Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
- Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
- Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
- Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
- Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
- Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
- Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)
- Sen. Gordon Smith [R-OR]
- Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
- Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

## Senate “Hard No’s” (32)

- Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO)
- Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS)
- Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY)
- Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
- Sen. Tom Coburn  (R-OK)
- Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN)
- Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)
- Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)
- Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH)
- Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
- Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
- Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY)
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
- Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)
- Sen. Chuck Hagel, (R-NE)

- Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
- Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)
- Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
- Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
- Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL)
- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Sen. Ben Nelson (R-NE)
- Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)
- Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
- Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
- Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)
- Sen. John Sununu (R-NH)
- Sen. Craig Thomas (WY)
- Sen. John Thune (R-SD)
- Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)
- Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH)

## Senate “Targets” (26)

- Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
- Sen. George Allen (R-VA)
- Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT)
- Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE)
- Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO)
- Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
- Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV)
- Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
- Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
- Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)
- Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM)
- Sen. William Frist (R-TN)
- Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

- Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS)
- Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN)
- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
- Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL)
- Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR)
- Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV)
- Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO)
- Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)
- Sen. James Talent (R-MO)
- Sen. John Warner (R-VA)
- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)