Jim Sensenbrenner: “I am certain that the study of the gentleman from Michigan is a very valuable one. The fact is that it is not in point…”

“I am certain that the study of the gentleman from Michigan is a very valuable one. The fact is that it is not in point to this debate. This bill does not prevent research on embryonic stem cells. What it does do is it prevents research on cloned embryonic stem cells. There is a big difference. Secondly, once again going back to the adult stem cell research that was referred to by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren), at Yale University, those were adult stem cells. She brought the issue up. We did not. Those were adult stem cells. And if they were human stem cells, they would not be banned by this bill. Now, finally, adult stem cells are already being used successfully for therapeutic benefits in humans. This includes treatments associated with various types of cancer, to relieve systemic lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, anemias, immunodeficiency disease, and restoration of sight through generation of corneas. Further, initial clinical trials have begun to repair heart damage using the patient's own adult stem cells. Somehow the word is out that adult stem cells are no good. I think this very clearly shows that adult stem cells are very useful for research, and furthermore, the bill does allow research on embryonic stem cells, just not the cloned ones.”