From the Office of Senator Kerry

Friday, July 20, 2001

Senator John F. Kerry said, "This letter is an indication of the overwhelmingly strong support in the United States Senate for a reasonable and thoughtful approach to lifting the ban on stem cell research -- and reflects the resolve of a diverse cross section of the Senate to take difficult medical decisions out of the hands of politicians and put them back with doctors and ethicists where they belong."

"Leaders with deep religious convictions, leaders of the scientific community, and those of us who've watched loved ones suffer from diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease, together understand why we need to lift the ban on stem cell research. The current ban ties the hands of the medical community and prevents them from committing the resources needed to the research offers hope to millions of Americans suffering today. We can not in good conscience delay or deny the world's best scientists from moving towards the day when we have cures for these devastating diseases, and we want to work with the Bush Administration to pursue a thoughtful, expeditious, and nonpartisan answer to the situation in which we find ourselves today."

Senator John Kerry (D-MA) is a co-sponsor of the Stem Cell Research Act of 2001 – a bill to allow federally-funded scientists to derive stem cells from human embryos if those embryos are obtained from IVF clinics, if the donor has provided informed consent and the embryo was no longer needed for fertility treatments. For more information, please see attached letter.

July 19, 2001 The Honorable George W. Bush President 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to urge you to allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. We believe this research has tremendous promise to lead to possible cures and treatments for many devastating diseases, and it cannot afford to be delayed.

Opponents of embryonic stem cell research have argued that it is unnecessary because adult stem cells can be used effectively in research to pursue treatments or cures for disease. But prevailing expert scientific opinion, most recently highlighted in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that you commissioned, states that it is far too early to know if adult stem cells have the same potential for disease treatment as embryonic stem cells. For diseases that cannot be treated with adult stem cells, impeding embryonic stem cell research risks unnecessary delay for patients who may die or endure needless suffering while the effectiveness of adult stem cells is evaluated. This work could impact the lives of millions of Americans suffering from Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and spinal cord injuries.

Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research will enable our best and brightest researchers, those supported by the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, to explore the enormous biomedical potential of stem cells. By funding this research itself rather than leaving it to private corporations and individuals, the federal government can retain the power to regulate use and standard practice. Furthermore, if we adhere to the guidelines issued by the NIH, we can protect against abuse with regard to the research. Peer-reviewed federal funding combined with public oversight is our best assurance of the highest quality research, performed with the greatest dignity and moral responsibility.

Under these circumstances, it would be tragic to waste this promising scientific opportunity to potentially help millions of people in need – for we must bear in mind that the embryos used in this research are produced in invitro fertilization clinics and if not used for humanitarian research may otherwise be discarded. We ought to realize their promise of life, rather than lose it altogether.

We recognize that you are giving this issue serious consideration. We urge you to move forward and support the current policy of allowing federal funding for stem cell research. We cannot afford to hesitate at the edge of this medical frontier, the benefits for our future are far too compelling.

Sincerely, John Kerry Arlen Spector Edward Kennedy Orrin Hatch Harry Reid Olympia Snowe Evan Bayh Richard Durbin Tim Johnson Patty Murray James Jeffords Bill Nelson Robert Torricelli Christopher Dodd Maria Cantwell Hillary Rodham Clinton Ron Wyden Lincoln Chafee Daniel Inouye Gordon Smith John McCain Paul Wellstone Patrick Leahy Susan Collins John Edwards Carl Levin Kent Conrad Joe Biden Jeff Bingaman Charles Schumer Barbara Boxer Bob Graham Daniel Akaka Joe Liberman Ben Nelson Dianne Feinstein Tom Daschle Tom Harkin Zell Miller John Warner Max Baucus Strom Thurmond Max Cleland Richard Lugar Russell Feingold Jon Corzine Mark Dayton Ted Stevens Herb Kohl Jean Carnahan Byron Dorgan Paul Sarbanes Jay Rockefeller Ernest Hollings Debbie Stabenow Jack Reed Mary Landrieu Tom Carper Barbara Mikulski