Americans support this legislation by a 2-1 margin, so naturally George Bush will use his veto pen for the first time just to appease his Radical Right base.
Further proof that he is the Worst. President. Ever.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Tom Vilsack and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm joined six other Democratic governors in urging the Senate to overturn President Bush's restrictions on stem cell research.
"Stem cell research holds the potential to cure some of humanity's oldest and deadliest diseases — from Parkinson's to Alzheimer's to multiple sclerosis and cancer," said a letter the governors sent Monday night to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
The Senate voted Tuesday after two days of emotional debate to expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and sent the measure to President Bush for a promised veto, the first of his presidency.
The bill passed 63-37, four votes short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override Bush's veto. The president left little doubt he would reject the bill despite late appeals on its behalf from fellow Republicans Nancy Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Granholm and her gang of Dem governors sent the Prez a letter, but sometimes I wonder why they even bother. If Reagan and Schwarzenegger can't get through to him, there is no way a bunch of blue-staters will. If anything, he will smile a little wider knowing that he pissed them off.
"Every day thousands of families in our states struggle as a loved one suffers from juvenile diabetes, spinal cord injuries and other conditions that might be cured if the president's restrictions are lifted," the letter said. "The Senate has a vital opportunity this week to do the right thing so science can go forward. That opportunity must not be squandered."
In addition to the joint letter, Granholm sent a separate letter of her own to Bush.
"If our nation is serious about improving both the cost and quality of health care, we must tap the full power of modern science to combat life-threatening illnesses in an ethically responsible manner," Granholm wrote. "The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act enables our nations researchers to do just that."
Granholm has called on the Michigan Legislature to end the state's ban on embryonic stem cell research.
Ah yes, and turning to own our band of wingnuts here in Michigan, it seems that the legislature in Lansing is beholden to the Michigan Right to Life and costing our state plenty. At a time when we need to diversify our economy, we are chained by archaic laws as other states move ahead.
These guys have to go. From Phil Power-
But one big one is the seeming total inability of our elected legislators to do something — anything — competent. As proof, consider how ideological idiocy in Lansing is frustrating progress in a promising area for our economy, not to mention the human race: Stem cell research.
Stem cells are generic cells capable of developing into various kinds of more specialized cells. Stem cells taken from very early human embryos can quickly differentiate into various types of tissue, such as blood, skin or nerves. Virtually every scientist in the country agrees that research using stem cells could produce breakthroughs in treating so far untreatable ailments such as Parkinson's Disease.
Lots of states are vigorously pursuing research into embryonic stem cells. California, for example, recently passed a state ballot proposal allocating $3 billion to stem cell research.
Not surprisingly, this has led lots of very able scientists to move to California to pursue this work.
Wouldn't it make sense for Michigan, with our network of excellent hospitals and research universities, to do the same?
It's OK to throw them away, just don't use them to save lives or anything silly like that.
These are stem cells from nearly microscopic embryos from fertility clinics. If they aren't used for potentially life-saving research, they are washed down the drain. According to University of Michigan professor and stem cell biologist Sean Morrison, fertility clinics discard unused tiny human embryos all the time.
"It's legal in Michigan to discard human embryos," Professor Morrison, who heads stem cell research in this state, told me, "but it's illegal to use them for medical research to help cure disease."
The cost to all of us is steep. Morrison pointed out that Michigan is losing out on research projects because funders are scared of our laws. "The state of Illinois is funding research projects there that we would go to jail for trying here in Michigan. Our laws are some of the most restrictive in the world, far tighter than federal law and equaled only by South Dakota."
It's costing us money, jobs and talented scientists as they flee to other states where this is allowed. Gee, why are those young people leaving again?
The silliness of the present law is compounded by the negative effect all this is having on our economic future. According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), more than $2 billion is invested annually in life sciences research and development in Michigan. The industry produces $4.8 billion in sales and is one of the few rapidly growing sectors in our economy.
Indeed, the MEDC says the State of Michigan has over the last four years invested $178 million in growing the Life Sciences Corridor running from Wayne State University through the U-M and Michigan State University to the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids.
So on the one hand we have a rapidly developing scientific field that is terribly important for the health of every citizen, one in which there is great talent at our research universities and has proven to be one of the few bright spots in our economy.
And on the other hand we are suffering under a disco-era law that prohibits exactly the kind of research that needs to be done.
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Even in a city as gripped by partisan deadlock as Lansing, don't we have the right to expect our lawmakers to break free of ideology and find a common-sense way to allow our scientists to do the kind of research that an overwhelming majority of people want and need? Especially, that is, when that research would also be a shot in the arm for our troubled economy.
If our legislature doesn't step up to the task, it may be time for all of us to move beyond pessimism ... to outright anger.
Time for us to move our feet to the ballot box and throw out the extremists. Lansing needs a change, and it ain't the Governor that needs changin'.