Two senior senators reintroduced a Senate bill yesterday (Feb. 26) that would lift the US ban on federal funding for stem cell research.

Senators Tom Harkin (left), Arlen Specter and Orrin Hatch Image: A.C. Glenn/UPI/Newscom/AP

The bipartisan measure by Senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) would permit research on human embryonic stem cell lines regardless of the date the tissue was obtained and allow new cell lines to be derived from human embryos left over from fertility treatments. The same bill passed both houses of Congress in 2007, but was vetoed by then-President Bush.

On the campaign trail, President Obama promised to reverse Bush's policy, and one of Obama's key science advisors, Harold Varmus, said last month that the President would issue an executive order in "the near future." But White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs has also suggested that Obama would rather wait and work together with Congress on the measure, according to Reuters.

"This legislation is necessary to codify this important policy change so that it does not ping-pong back and forth with each successive President," said Specter in a statement.

"We have to make sure that the freedom to pursue this research is also protected by Federal law, not merely by an executive order that can be reversed during a future administration," said Harkin in a statement.

Three other senior senators -- Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) -- cosponsored the legislation.


Related stories:

Bush's stem cell ban to end?
[30th January 2009]

New U.S. congress, new stem cell bills
[4th January 2007]

Stem cell supporters upset by Bush veto
[20th July 2006]