U.S. House passes stem cell bill

As expected, the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday (Jan. 11) passed legislation to extend Federal research funding to newly derived stem cell lines. But while the vote (253 to 174) gained 15 affirmative votes over an identical effort in the last session of Congress, it still fell far short of the two-thirds necessary to over-ride an expected presidential veto.

"We brought this legislation back for a vote today to give President Bush another chance to do the right thing," Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), the bill's cosponsor, told reporters after the House vote.

The "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007" (HR 3/S 5) is identical to a bill that Congress passed, and President Bush vetoed (his first and only veto), in July 2006. Yesterday Bush promised to veto the bill again.

Still, supporters were heartened that the bill earned more votes than it did when first passed in 2005. "It's an impressive win," said Tony Mazzaschi, senior associate vice president for research at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). "I think we're poised to do well in the Senate," he told The Scientist.

The Senate plans to hold hearings on its version of the bill as early as next month, with the goal of attaching amendments to make the measure more attractive to senators and difficult for Bush to veto. Should the president veto the bill, two-thirds majorities of both House and Senate members are needed to over-ride the action. If all 100 senators are present at the time of voting, 67 votes are needed; if all 435 House members are present, 290 votes are needed in that chamber.

According to biomedical research advocates who spoke to The Scientist but asked not to be named in this article, legislators are considering several strategies. One approach would be for the Senate to amend the bill slightly, then send it to Bush for a veto. Because the Senate changed the bill before sending it to the president, it would go to that chamber first for an over-ride effort; if that succeeded, it would put pressure on House members to do the same. Alternatively, lawmakers could attach the bill to unrelated "must-pass" legislation, such as Iraq war funding, to thwart the president's veto.

Regardless of what happens, supporters see an optimistic future. "We all know that this bill one day will be signed," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) at a news conference earlier this week. "I am strongly of the view we should pass the bill again and again and again and again, until we get a president who will sign it."

Ted Agres
tagres@the-scientist.com
Links within this article

Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (HR 3)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.3.IH:

T Agres, "U.S. Senate approves stem cell bills," The Scientist, July 19, 2006
http://www.thescientist.com/news/display/23983/

T Agres, "Stem cell supporters upset by Bush veto," The Scientist, July 20, 2006
http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/23995/

"Statement of Administration Policy," Executive Office of the President, Jan. 11, 2007
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sap/110-1/hr3sap-h.pdf

T. Agres, "New U.S. Congress, new stem cell bill," The Scientist, January 4, 2007
http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/39808/