Pending Legislation

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Catholic Senator Tom Harkin Wants Federal Funding for Destructive Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Introduces Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2009

S.487: A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for human embryonic stem cell research. This bill would allow funding for research on embryonic stem cell lines created from embryos left over from IVF treatments. This bill would make it federal law that U.S. tax dollars fund embryonic stem cell research, thereby, making executive orders by future presidents meaningless.

Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

The bill has six co-sponsors:

Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] - 2/26/2009
Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [UT] - 2/26/2009
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA] - 2/26/2009
Sen Reid, Harry [NV] - 2/26/2009
Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] - 3/3/2009
Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] - 2/26/2009

The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act lifts the August 9, 2001, date restriction, thus making stem cell lines eligible for federally funded research regardless of the date on which they were derived.

The Church teaches that life-destroying embryonic stem cell research is an intrinsic evil and can never be an acceptable method of research.

LifeSite News reported the following:

Just this week ten pro-life Members of Congress spoke on stem cell research during a Special Order organized by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).  Smith and the other pro-life Congressman observed that embryonic stem-cell research is not only unethical, but unnecessary, given the superior results achieved through adult stem cell research.

"Human embryo-destroying stem cell research is not only unethical, unworkable and unreliable, it is now demonstrably unnecessary," said Smith.  "Adult stem cells ... are truly remarkable. They work, they have no ethical baggage, and advances are made every day at a dizzying pace.

 

Calling All Catholics

Please call the White House and express your disapproval for this assault on human life.

 

Please call Senator Harkin and remind him that his support for this unethical research is in direct conflict with the teaching of the Church.

WASHINGTON DC OFFICE

731 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3254 Phone
(202) 224-9369 Fax
(202) 224-4633 TDD

Please contact Senator Harkin's Bishop, Bishop Richard Pates, Diocese of Des Moines, and ask him to invite the Senator to private dialogue so he may give him the pastoral guidance that is so necessary.

OFFICE OF THE BISHOP

Most Rev. Richard E. Pates
Angie Hemmingsen
bishop@dmdiocese.org
515-237-5039