US House passes stem cell bill
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that would expand government-funded embryonic stem cell research. The White House has however said that US President George W Bush will veto the proposed move. This was the second time in two years that lawmakers voted to lift restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, but also the second time that the majority was too small to override a Presidential veto. The debate on 11 January was an emotional one, with senators on both sides of the argument referring to medical conditions or disabilities within their families. Embryonic stem cells are attractive to researchers as they could provide medical breakthroughs for the treatment of various medical conditions, such as diabetes, Parkinson's and spinal cord injury. Proponents argue that the research would be carried out on embryos that would otherwise be discarded by fertility clinics. Those against such research believe that using embryos for research is ethically wrong. Polls suggest that the majority of Americans are in favour of expanding stem cell research in the US, and Democrats say that the issue played a significant role in the recent elections that took the majority away from the Republicans to give the Democrats the majority in both the House and Senate. 'Today, by passing legislation to expand stem cell research, the House gave voice to the hopes of more than 100 million Americans and their families,' said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
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