Senator Patrick Leahy

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Stem Cells

Scientists have shown that embryonic stem cells, which have the ability to develop into virtually any cell in the body, have the potential to treat medical conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and cancer. This promising research has previously only been conducted in the private sector, without the federal government's guidance or financial support. In August, 2001, President Bush announced his limited support for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, and the National Institutes of Health have awarded some grants to scientists working with the stem cell lines that meet the Administration's narrow criteria for support.

In the past six years, however, scientists have learned that the stem cell lines currently available for study will not be suitable for substantive research. The lives of

Americanswho are suffering from life-threatening and debilitating conditions depend on U.S. leadership in this groundbreaking research. Senator Leahy has joined with many of his colleagues to cosponsor S.5, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. This legislation would increase the number of stem cell lines available for research and the amount of funding that is available for this work.

What's New: Stem Cells

On January 11, 2007 the House of Representatives passed legislation to expand research on stem cells. This legislation is identical to a bill that both the House and the Senate passed during the 109^th Congress but was vetoed by the President. This bill would help U.S. researchers expand their efforts to discover lifesaving cures and treatments. The Senate is expected to soon pass its version of the House bill and then the legislation will be sent to the President.

Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy On The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act
April 11, 2007

Resources from the Congressional Research Service:

Stem Cell Research:
Federal Research Funding and Oversight

The Congressional Research Service provides members of Congress with non-partisan research and analysis of legislation and issues. It's my goal to make all of these reports available to the tax payer. You can read more about my efforts here. Until then, I've made the below reports available in PDF form to help you research this issue further.