FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2007

Contact: Matt Sande, Director of Legislation, (262) 796-1111, cell: (262) 352-0890
or Peggy Hamill, State Director, (262) 796-1111, cell: (414) 416-0489

U.S. House Votes to Fund the Destruction of Embryonic Children
Pro-Life Wisconsin Denounces Passage of H.R. 3

The United States House of Representatives passed legislation this afternoon that would federally fund the destruction of human embryos for stem cell research. House Resolution (H.R. 3) – the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 – would fully remove President Bush’s August 2001 federal funding restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research. The bill would require federal funding of new embryonic stem cell lines derived from the destruction of new human embryos “donated” from in vitro fertilization clinics. H.R. 3 passed the House by a vote of 253-174, falling well-short of the two-thirds margin necessary to override a promised veto by the President.

The following is Pro-Life Wisconsin State Director Peggy Hamill’s response to passage of H.R. 3:

“For the newly elected Democrat Congress to make the destruction of embryonic children an immediate legislative priority is a sad reflection on our country. This dreadful bill would force American taxpayers to fund the evisceration of human embryos – babies in their earliest stages of development – for no proven medical benefit; as if such benefit could ever justify the killing of any person. Fortunately, President Bush has vowed to veto this appalling measure yet again.

“Wisconsin Representatives Baldwin, Kagen, Kind, Moore and Obey should all be ashamed of themselves for co-sponsoring and voting for H.R. 3. Sacrificing people in the name of science has been and always will be gravely immoral. Try as they might to convince themselves otherwise, they cannot avoid this stark reality.

“Pro-Life Wisconsin applauds Representatives Petri, Ryan, and Sensenbrenner for standing tall for life and voting NO on H.R. 3. These courageous leaders understand that there are ethical lines that civilized societies must never cross. Moreover, they understand that there is a proven, ethical alternative in adult stem cell research that has experienced documented clinical success over a wide range of health conditions including breast cancer, stroke, and spinal cord injury. Just this week Wake Forest University School of Medicine reported the ability of adult-type stem cells found in human amniotic fluid to differentiate into multiple tissue types, much like that of human embryonic stem cells.

“The pro-life community IS pro-stem cell research. We want to see research progress toward the treatment of debilitating disease, but not by killing human lives in order to potentially save them. Ethical and effective adult stem cell research is a life-saving alternative. Congress must have the political courage to fully embrace it and ignore the deadly siren call of embryonic stem cell research.”

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