Washington, D.C. - Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) released the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of overriding the President’s veto of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.
"I am extremely disappointed that the President exercised his first veto on a piece of bipartisan legislation that will provide countless number of Americans hope of finding cures for many life-threatening diseases. This Congress has passed many pieces of irresponsible legislation that benefit narrow special interests at the expense of the public good. The President did not veto any of those bills. Now the Congress has finally passed a bipartisan bill that will help find cures to diseases that strike virtually every American family. Yet the President has chosen to veto this landmark bill. In doing so, the President is playing to the extreme right of his own political party. Shame on the President for putting politics over the health of the American people.
"We should allow the expansion of federally supported research of human embryonic stem cell lines. The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 would provide federal funding for a wider range of stem cell research while establishing ethical guidelines. The bill also provides that embryos that are otherwise likely to be discarded can be used to develop treatments for debilitating diseases and life-saving cures.
"I believe stem cell research holds the promise of scientific breakthroughs that could improve the lives of millions of Americans afflicted with a debilitating disease – such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, and cancer – for which there is currently no cure. While it is too late for those who have passed away from these terrible diseases, it still not too late for the millions of other Americans hoping that the Congress will override the President’s veto and support federally funded research of this potentially life-saving resource. For these patients and their families, stem cell research is the last hope for a cure.
"Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that affects every family in America. I strongly urge my House colleagues to vote to override the President’s veto on this bipartisan legislation."