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UW scientists support stem cell bill
Issue date: 4/16/07 Section: Campus News
The passing of a bill in the U.S. Senate last week to improve governmental funding on stem cell research has the backing of University of Wisconsin scientists.
The bill would allow for scientists, including those in Wisconsin, to expand their research on embryonic stem cells.
The Democratic-sponsored bill passed with a 63-34 margin and is an attempt to override President Bush's 2001 provision that only allowed federal funding for research on 21 lines of stem cells.
According to the bill (S 5 ES), the secretary of Health and Human Services must allow embryonic stem cell research as long as the research is done on embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics that were to be discarded because they were of no use. The bill also stated that the donors of the embryos need to give written and informed consent to make the donation and do not receive any incentive to do so.
The Senate considered the bill in conjunction with a GOP-sponsored bill that would allow expanding embryonic stem cell research as long as the embryos were already dead, according to the Senate calendar of active legislation.
The GOP bill also passed with a 70-28 vote in the Senate and is in committee in the House.
The Democratic bill will now make its way to the president's desk to be signed into law. However, President Bush threatened to veto the legislation when it originated in the House in January.
For a full story about the bill's effects on UW-Eau Claire, please see Thursday's issue of The Spectator.
The bill would allow for scientists, including those in Wisconsin, to expand their research on embryonic stem cells.
The Democratic-sponsored bill passed with a 63-34 margin and is an attempt to override President Bush's 2001 provision that only allowed federal funding for research on 21 lines of stem cells.
According to the bill (S 5 ES), the secretary of Health and Human Services must allow embryonic stem cell research as long as the research is done on embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics that were to be discarded because they were of no use. The bill also stated that the donors of the embryos need to give written and informed consent to make the donation and do not receive any incentive to do so.
The Senate considered the bill in conjunction with a GOP-sponsored bill that would allow expanding embryonic stem cell research as long as the embryos were already dead, according to the Senate calendar of active legislation.
The GOP bill also passed with a 70-28 vote in the Senate and is in committee in the House.
The Democratic bill will now make its way to the president's desk to be signed into law. However, President Bush threatened to veto the legislation when it originated in the House in January.
For a full story about the bill's effects on UW-Eau Claire, please see Thursday's issue of The Spectator.
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