Federal Stem Cell Bill is Back...

From the Society for Neuroscience:

Dear Eyedoc,

Immediately upon their return from recess on April 10, the Senate will consider the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S. 5). Please contact your Senators now and urge them to vote YES on S. 5.

The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 (H.R. 810) passed with strong bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate, but President Bush used his first and only veto when the bill reached his desk in July 2006. Similar legislation (H.R. 3) passed the House earlier this year; now the Senate must take up this vital bill.

On April 10, the Senate will debate S. 5 and another stem cell research bill, S. 30. No amendments will be allowed and each bill must receive 60 votes to pass. The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act has been modified from the version passed earlier this year by the House of Representatives (H.R. 3) to include language that encourages the NIH to pursue all forms of stem cell research. S. 30 advocates support for adult stem cell research and attempts to define and protect embryos from use in stem cell research.

Therefore, SfN supports the passage of S. 5, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, the only bill under consideration that will advance federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Please contact your Senators immediately to ask that they vote yes on S. 5. Please visit CapWiz, an online legislative action center, provided to you by SfN: www.sfn.org/legalert

The Society for Neuroscience