HOUSE PASSES STEM CELL RESEARCH BILL

The House has passed a bill that would extend federal funding for research on stem cells beyond the preexisting cell lines that the Bush administration approved funding for in August 2001. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

H.R.3, the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007"will "expand federal funding for enormously promising embryonic stem cell research, using stem cell lines generated from embryos that would have otherwise been discarded by fertility clinics," Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) said following the Jan. 11 vote. "Unlike President Bush's current policy, this legislation includes strong ethical guidelines for conducting stem cell research."

Pelosi pointed to the "strong bipartisan" support the bill enjoyed. Rep. Joe Barton (R.-Texas) said his vote for the bill was out of "respect [for] the need for progress in medicine that will help protect and improve existing human lives."

However, the 253-174 vote was far short of the two-thirds margin required to override a presidential veto.