Mark Pocan: “Woman, I rise today to offer an amendment that ensures the Trump administration cannot block critical groundbreaking…”

“Woman, I rise today to offer an amendment that ensures the Trump administration cannot block critical groundbreaking research solely because it utilizes human fetal tissue. I believe this new policy announced by HHS just last week is shortsighted and that Congress should make its voice heard on the issue. This amendment prohibits any funds in the bill being used to establish a sham ethics advisory board with regard to research products that use human fetal tissue. The June 5, HHS announcement bars NIH scientists from conducting any research using fetal tissue unless an additional ethics advisory board review of NIH grant applications for fetal tissue research occurs. This decision by President Trump is unnecessary since these grant applications are already subject to rigorous ethical review requirements. Currently, any federally funded research that uses fetal tissue must comply with oversight pursuant to the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, which was enacted on a bipartisan basis. This framework requires informed consent and declarations pertaining to fetal tissue from all donors, physicians, and researchers involved. {time} 1000 Let's be clear. The Trump administration's decision is not about science or ethics. It is about politics. Fetal tissue research is not new. It has been supported by the NIH since the 1950s, and fetal tissue has been used to develop vaccines that have saved and improved the lives of billions of people around the world.…”