Home Government Relations & Public Policy HENA Online News

FRIDAY BUZZ: House Passes Legislation to Lift Restrictions on Stem Cell Research

Jan. 12, 2007

The House of Representatives voted 253 to 174 yesterday to approve legislation that would loosen President Bush's restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research.

However, Bush has announced that he will veto the bill—as he did to similar legislation last year—and it is doubtful the House would be able to override such a veto.

The Senate is expected to consider similar stem cell legislation next month, using the bill it passed in 2006 as the basis for the new bill (see the community letter ACE signed in support of the 2006 bill here). A joint hearing on the Senate's legislation will be held Jan. 22 by the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

For the media’s outlook on the House bill and the status of stem cell research, see the following stories:

A Vote for Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Inside Higher Ed

House OKs Stem Cell Funds Again
The San Francisco Chronicle (free reg. req.)

House Challenges Bush on Stem Cells, Again
The Chronicle of Higher Education (sub req.)

Passions Aflame as Stem Cell Bill Passes
The Chicago Tribune (free reg. req.)

House OK's Expanded Stem-Cell Research
The Associated Press (The Boston Globe, free reg. req.)

House Passes Bill Relaxing Limits on Stem Cell Research
The Washington Post (free reg. req.)