Senate Appropriations Committee approves spending bill that would expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday voted 26-3 to approve the fiscal year 2008 Labor-HHS-Education spending bill, which includes a provision that would expand the number of human embryonic stem cell lines eligible for federal funding, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 6/21).

Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research currently is allowed only for research using embryonic stem cell lines created on or before Aug. 9, 2001, under a policy announced by President Bush on that date. Bush on Wednesday vetoed a bill (S 5) -- called the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 -- that would have allowed federal funding for research using stem cells derived from human embryos originally created for fertility treatments and willingly donated by patients (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 6/21).

The provision in the spending measure, introduced by Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), would extend the funding deadline from Aug. 9, 2001, to June 15, 2007 (CQ HealthBeat, 6/21). "I'm trying every way I can to reach a compromise with the president ... but he won't compromise at all," Harkin said (Norman, Des Moines Register, 6/22).

Sens. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, voted against the bill. A spokesperson for Gregg, who supports embryonic stem cell research, said the senator voted against the $152 billion spending bill because of the funding levels. Spokespeople for Brownback and Nelson said they voted against the measure in part because of the stem cell provision. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) voted to pass the bill but said he would oppose the stem cell provision on the Senate floor.

"Simply advancing the date is an easy way out," Craig said, adding, "If the world begins to realize that we will advance the date, then we will start to develop, I suspect, surplus embryos for the purpose of science." According to CQ HealthBeat, Bush would be "almost certain" to veto the legislation if it contained the stem cell provision (CQ HealthBeat, 6/21). The measure is expected to be debated in the full Senate next month, Harkin said (Mulkern, Denver Post, 6/21).