Tom Harkin: “I think what the Senator reflected is, again, the hopes of so many families in America who have a loved one suffering…”

“I think what the Senator reflected is, again, the hopes of so many families in America who have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's or juvenile diabetes, or a young person who has had an accident and is a paraplegic for life with a spinal cord injury. You say: What can we do to help? How can we help? Well, it is one thing to be sympathetic--and we are sympathetic to those who suffer from illnesses or injuries--but if we have it within our grasp, as the Senator from New Jersey said, to open some doors and see what is behind those doors, it seems to me we are compelled to do that. We don't know where the scientific research may lead. But we do know if we don't do it, it is not going to lead anywhere. We know that. As I said earlier, the foundations are there to give hope to people that embryonic stem cell research will lead to great discoveries and treatments and interventions. The scientific community's enthusiasm for this is almost boundless because they realize that harnessing the power of embryonic stem cells that can develop into any form of a cell in the body could lead to interventions and cures that are now beyond our grasp.”