MARK KENNEDY OPPOSES REAL STEM CELL RESEARCH
07/18/2006
ST. PAUL (7/18/06) – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kennedy opposes real stem cell research. Kennedy opposed the bill that the U.S. Senate is expected to pass today, which would allow for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. President Bush is expected to veto H.R. 810 when it gets to his desk, making it the first veto in his time as president. Kennedy also believes, wrongly, that adult stem cell research holds the same promise that embryonic stem cell research does. The medical community is in agreement that adult stem cell research does not offer the real promise that embryonic stem cell research holds to finding life-saving cures for diseases that affect millions of Americans.
Kennedy opposed the bill under consideration in the U.S. Senate, which would expand federal funding of stem cell research. In 2005, Kennedy voted against final passage of a bill to loosen restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, siding with social conservatives over patients who have debilitating diseases. The Senate is expected to vote on H.R. 810 today and it is expected to pass. Under the bill, the federal government could fund research involving embryonic stem cells regardless of when they were created. The stem cells would have to come from embryos donated by fertility clinic patients who no longer planned to use them to become pregnant. The bill would authorize research on embryos that would otherwise be discarded. The bill passed the House 238-194. [H.R. 810, Vote #204, 5/24/05; Los Angeles Times, 5/25/05; Chicago Tribune, 5/25/05, CQ, 7/14/06]
· 2005: Kennedy said he saw no reason to lift the Bush imposed restrictions on stem cell research. In 2005, Kennedy said he saw no reason to lift the restrictions on stem cell research. According to the Star Tribune, “Rep. Mark Kennedy said in a statement, “Therefore, after much thought and reflection, I see no reason to lift the current restrictions on the use of taxpayer dollars to destroy human embryos during research experiments.” [Star Tribune, 5/25/05]
· Kennedy said he supported research funding that did not destroy embryos. This past weekend, when asked about his position on stem cell research, Kennedy said, “Well, I am for funding of research that does not destroy embryos.” [AM 1280 Patriot Picnic event, 7/15/06]
· Bush is certain to veto stem cell research bill. It was reported that Karl Rove, President Bush’s top political strategist “and others at the White House have reiterated the threat to veto any legislation that expands the embryonic stem cell research eligible for federal funding. ‘The president is emphatic about this,’ Mr. Rove said. ‘We were all an embryo at one point, and we ought to as a society be very careful about being callous about the wanton destruction of embryos, of life,’ he told the Denver Post.” It would be Bush’s first veto. [Denver Post, 7/13/06]
Kennedy said it was possible to do “embryonic cell research” without destroying life. This past weekend, Kennedy said, “What we’ve seen from test after test is that it is possible to do embryonic cell research without destroying life. Just about all the major breakthroughs have been with adult and core blood stem cells.” [AM 1280 Patriot Picnic event, 7/15/06]
- FACT CHECK: Medical community agrees that embryonic stem cell research holds the real promise – adult stem cell research doesn’t. The medical community is largely united behind embryonic stem cell research. The National Institute of Health (NIH), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRFI), the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and others have emphasized the advantages of embryonic stem cell research over adult stem cell research. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation noted that the belief that adult stem cells offer “the same, or better potential” for treating disease “reflects an incomplete understanding of the qualities of the respective stem cell types. While embryonic stem cells have qualities that give them the potential to treat a wide range of diseases and injuries, adult stem cells simply do not.” [“Stem Cell FAQ,” NIH Website; AAAS, 6/16/05; JDRFI; Michael J Fox Foundation, 7/13/05; Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (emphasis added)]