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Skriven 2007-06-20 23:30:58 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0706208) for Wed, 2007 Jun 20
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President Bush Discusses Stem Cell Veto and Executive Order
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary June 20, 2007

President Bush Discusses Stem Cell Veto and Executive Order East Room

˙ /news/releases/2007/06/20070620-8.wm.v.html ˙˙Presidential Remarks
˙˙Audio

˙˙˙˙˙ Fact Sheet: Advancing Stem Cell Research While Respecting Moral
Boundaries ˙˙˙˙˙ Message to the Senate of the United States ˙˙˙˙˙ Executive
Order: Expanding Approved Stem Cell Lines in Ethically Responsible Ways
˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: Health Care

2:39 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Welcome. I'm glad you're here. America is a nation that
leads the world in science and technology. Our innovative spirit is making
possible incredible advances in medicine that could save lives and cure
diseases. America is also a nation founded on the principle that all human
life is sacred -- and our conscience calls us to pursue the possibilities
of science in a manner that respects human dignity and upholds our moral
values.

I appreciate the fact that we're joined by a lot of folks who share the
deep desire to advance science, and at the same time, uphold our moral
values. I appreciate the fact that Mike Leavitt is here, Secretary of the
Department of Health and Human Services. I want to thank the members of the
United States Congress and Senate who have joined us. I thank you for
taking your time to be here on this important announcement today.

I'm joined on stage by two good docs, really smart, capable people: Dr.
Bill Hurlbut, Professor of Stanford University Medical Center; Dr. Don
Landry, Professor at Columbia University Department of Medicine --
actually, he's the Chairman of the Department. The reason they're here is
these are brilliant biologists who are seeking new ways to develop stem
cell lines without violating human life. And these are smart folks, and I
cannot thank them enough for coming to the Oval Office to share with me
their wisdom and their vision.

I'm also up here with Carol Franz; she has whipped cancer twice by using
adult stem cells. In other words, adult stem cells have saved her life.
She's a determined woman who believes strongly that there are different
alternatives available to use stem cells other than those which are created
as the result of destruction of human life.

And, finally, I'm up here with the McNamara family -- Kaitlyne is with us
-- I'm going to talk about her in a second.

I do want to thank the other stem cell patients and researchers and
advocates who are here with us today. If you're not in any of those
categories you're welcome, too. (Laughter.)

In 2001, I announced a policy to advance stem cell research in a way that
is ambitious, ethical, and effective. I became the first President to make
federal funds available for embryonic stem cell research -- and my policy
did this in ways that would not encourage the destruction of embryos. Since
then, my administration has made more than $130 million available for
research on stem cell lines derived from embryos that had already been
destroyed. We've provided more than $3 billion for research on all forms of
stem cells -- including those from adult and other non-embryonic sources.

This careful approach is producing results. It has contributed to proven
therapeutic treatments in thousands of patients with many different
diseases. It's opening the prospect of new discoveries that could transform
lives.

Congress has sent me a bill that would overturn this policy. If this
legislation became law, it would compel American taxpayers -- for the first
time in our history -- to support the deliberate destruction of human
embryos. I made it clear to Congress and to the American people that I will
not allow our nation to cross this moral line. Last year, Congress passed a
similar bill -- I kept my promise by vetoing it. And today I'm keeping my
word again: I am vetoing the bill that Congress has sent. (Applause.)

Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical --
and it is not the only option before us. We're already seeing remarkable
advances in the science and therapeutic uses of stem cells drawn from
adults and children, and the blood from umbilical cords -- with no harm to
the donor. Researchers value embryonic stem cells because they are
pluripotent -- which means that they have the potential to develop into
nearly all the cell types and tissues in the body. Researchers are now
developing promising new techniques that offer the potential to produce
pluripotent stem cells -- without having to destroy human life.

For example, several new studies released earlier this month showed the
potential of reprogramming adult cells -- such as skin cells -- to make
them function like embryonic stem cells. It's exciting new research taking
place in the United States of America. Scientists from all over the country
hailed this as an important breakthrough. And I'm pleased to report to you
that my administration and the NIH helped fund this exciting work. The
taxpayers' dollars are going to new kinds of therapies, new kinds of
science, new kinds of work that do not cross a moral and ethical line.

A few months earlier, scientists discovered that cells extracted from
amniotic fluid and placentas could also provide stem cells that seem to do
what embryonic cells can. Still other researchers are investigating how to
combine reprogramming and other innovative techniques to produce stem cells
with the abilities of embryonic stem cells -- without creating or
destroying embryos. There's a lot of interesting work going on that's
ethical and moral. Scientists are exploring ways to collect stem cells in
the same manner that doctors now rescue organs from patients who have died.

With us today are patients who are benefiting from ethical stem cell
research -- including Kaitlyne McNamara. Kaitlyne was born with spina
bifida, a disease that damaged her bladder. None of the treatments her
doctor tried had worked; she was in danger of kidney failure. Then her
doctors took a piece of her bladder, isolated the healthy stem cells, and
used them to grow a new bladder in a laboratory -- which they then
transplanted into her. And here she stands, healthy. (Applause.) Scientific
advances like this one are important and should give us hope that there's a
better way forward than scientific advances that require the destruction of
a human life.

The researchers pursuing these kinds of ethically responsible advances
deserve our support, and there is legislation in Congress to give them that
support. Recently, the United States Senate passed a bill sponsored by Norm
Coleman and others that would authorize additional federal funding for
alternative stem cell research. The bill was approved with the backing of
70 United States senators. The House leaders need to pass similar
legislation that would authorize additional funds for ethical stem cell
research. That would be an important advancement. It would be an important
statement. Because we can't lose the opportunity to conduct research that
would give hope to those suffering from terrible diseases -- and help this
country move beyond the controversies over embryo destruction.

We have a good chance to put aside all the politics and focus on a good
piece of legislation that advances science and doesn't cross an ethical
line. Norm, I want to thank you and Johnny Isakson for sponsoring that
piece of legislation. (Applause.)

In the meantime, my administration is taking immediate action to increase
our support for researchers in their vital work. Earlier today, I issued an
executive order to strengthen our nation's commitment to research on
pluripotent stem cells. This order takes a number of important steps. The
order directs the Department of Health and Human Services and the NIH to
ensure that any human pluripotent stem cell lines produced in ways that do
not create, destroy, or harm human embryos will be eligible for federal
funding.

The order expands the NIH Embryonic Stem Cell registry to include all types
of ethically produced human pluripotent stem cells. The order renames the
registry -- calls it this, the Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry -- so it
reflects what stem cells can do, instead of where they come from. The order
invites scientists to work with the NIH, so we can add new ethically
derived stem cell lines to the list of those eligible for federal funding.
I direct Secretary Leavitt to conduct an assessment of what resources will
be necessary to support this important new research.

This science which does not cross ethical lines requires money. I believe
it is a good use of taxpayers' money to spend money on this kind of science
and research. And Michael is going to expedite it, that's what that means
-- it's a fancy paragraph for saying he's going to get it done. (Laughter.)

With these steps, we'll encourage scientists to expand the frontiers of
stem cell research. We want to encourage science. We want to say, we stand
on your side in an ethically responsible way. Scientists have recently
shown they have the ingenuity and skill to pursue the potential benefits of
pluripotent stem cell research. Here's two of them right here. That's why
they're standing here, they have showed what's possible. I have confidence
in their abilities to continue to develop new techniques. With our expanded
support of non-destructive research methods, we'll make it more likely that
these exciting advances continue to unfold.

Technical innovation in this difficult area is opening up new possibilities
for progress without conflict or ethical controversy. So I invite
policymakers and scientists to come together to speed our nation toward the
destination we all seek -- where medical problems can be solved without
compromising either the high aims of science or the sanctity of human life.

Thank you all for coming. May God bless. (Applause.)

END 2:52 P.M. EDT
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