WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Senate's majority leader, citing his expertise as a physician, announced July 29 that he would support an expansion of federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research.
The decision puts Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) at odds with the White House and many conservative religious groups, but in line with an apparent majority in Congress. It may set up the first veto showdown of President Bush's administration.
In an early-morning speech on the floor of the Senate, Frist said that “embryonic stem cells uniquely hold specific promise for some therapies and potential cures.” Frist, a heart surgeon, said his medical background leads him to conclude that federal funding for the research must be expanded.
Most conservative religious and anti-abortion groups oppose the research, because embryos are destroyed in the process of extracting their stem cells. In one of his first acts after he took office in 2001, Bush limited federal funding for such research.
Many pro-life groups have said they prefer research on adult stem cells or other forms of research. But most scientists believe the embryonic cells hold more immediate promise for curing diseases that are currently terminal.
In his speech, Frist cast his lot with the latter group. “In all forms of stem-cell research, I see today — just as in 2001 — great, great promise to heal,” he said. “Whether it is diabetes, or Parkinson's disease, or my own field of heart disease, Lou Gehrig's disease or spinal cord injuries, stem cells offer hope for treatment that other lines of research simply cannot offer.”
Frist's decision means a bill designed to override Bush's limitations on the funding for such research will likely pass the Senate. A similar bill has already passed the House.
Reaction to his announcement was swift from both sides of the stem-cell debate. Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, issued a statement calling Frist's decision “very disappointing” and saying “it is unfortunate that Sen. Frist would capitulate to the biotech industry.”
But former first lady Nancy Reagan, whose husband, the late President Ronald Reagan, suffered from Alzheimer's disease, applauded Frist. “Embryonic stem cell research has the potential to alleviate so much suffering,” she said, in a statement issued shortly after the senator's speech. “Thank you, Dr. Frist, for standing up for America's patients.”
The bill is H.R. 810.