Orrin Hatch: “I support the unanimous consent agreement on stem cell research legislation propounded by our majority leader, Senator…”

“I support the unanimous consent agreement on stem cell research legislation propounded by our majority leader, Senator Frist. Overall, this is a fair proposal and it is certainly a matter that this Senate should be prepared to debate and vote upon as soon as possible. It is over a year since the House of Representatives acted in a bipartisan fashion to adopt legislation, H.R. 810 that would increase the number of stem cell lines eligible for Federal funding if those stem cell lines were derived from embryos no longer needed for in vitro fertilization. This is a good bill that Senators Specter and Harkin have urged on this body since 2001. It is time to debate and vote upon this proposal. The unanimous consent agreement also accommodates the interests of other Senators by including two other bills in this package. I believe I can support these other two measures which are designed to outlaw so-called fetal farming and to encourage alterative means of devising new stem cell lines. While I do not think that the alternative measure can or should be thought of as a replacement for the new cell lines that will be derived if H.R. 810 is passed, I am supportive of this type of research. The stem cell issue is ripe for debate and resolution and I think that this unanimous consent agreement will move us down the road in a constructive fashion.…”