U.S. House Feels We Should Pay to Destroy Life

Below is a statement from the National Right to Life Committee. Please click on the link below with the vote on H.R. 3 - it will let you how your Representative voted. If they voted in favor of this measure, please contact them to express your disappointment in a tactful, polite way. If they voted against it please contact them to thank them for standing for life. They need our encouragement.

If you live in the Third Congressional District of Iowa - Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA 3) voted yes. He feels that taxpayers should pay for research to end life. Not only that - it is fruitless research! Embryonic stem cell research has not been found to be able to treat even one disease. Adult stem cell research has developed treatments for over 70 diseases.

To contact Leonard Boswell:

Washington, DC office - (202) 225-3806
Des Moines office - (515) 282-1909
rep.boswell.ia03@mail.house.gov

WASHINGTON (January 11, 2007) -- The U.S. House of Representatives today approved legislation (H.R. 3) that would mandate federal funding of the type of stem cell research that requires the killing of human embryos -- but by a vote far short of the two-thirds majority that would be required to override President Bush's veto of the legislation.
The House passed H.R. 3 by a vote of 253-174. This was 32 votes short of a two-thirds majority. H.R. 3 is the same as a bill vetoed by President Bush on July 19, 2006; a veto override attempt failed by 51 votes.

In a policy statement issued today, the White House said, "If H.R. 3 were presented to the President, he would veto the bill."

Before approving H.R. 3, the House rejected an attempt to amend it to prevent funding of research entities that engage in research using cloned human embryos. The proposed amendment (technically called a "motion to recommit with instructions") was rejected by the key sponsors of H.R. 3, and failed on a vote of 189-238.

"Every lawmaker who voted against this bill supports stem cell research, but not the kind that requires killing human embryos, and we commend them for that," commented NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson. "Today the key lawmakers pushing this bill rejected an anti-human-cloning amendment, which was one more proof that the biotech industry is determined to use human cloning to create human embryo farms," said Johnson.

Legislation identical to H.R. 3 has been introduced in the Senate as S. 5. Senate action on the issue is expected within a matter of months.

To read NRLC's January 5 letter to House members in opposition to the legislation, click here.

To read NRLC's January 8 release on recent breakthroughs in ethical stem cell research (not requiring the killing of human embryos), click here.

To read the White House's January 11 policy statement against the legislation, click here.

For more information on human embryo research, human cloning, human fetus farming, and related issues, see: http://www.nrlc.org/killing_embryos/index.html and http://www.stemcellresearch.org/