Supporter Of Embryo Stem Cell Research example essay topic

Federal funding for stem cell research has been in debate in Congress since 1995, when the annual appropriation bills put a ban on the use of federal funding for experimentation of human embryos. Nuclear transplantation's are creating cloned human embryos not to make a zygote but using it for a source of stem cells, which may have the cures for certain diseases. 1998 was the first time a researcher isolated embryonic stem cells and it took place at the University of Wisconsin. Federal funding for the stem cell research has strongly been lobbied recently because mainly scientist specialize in this field and many believe that cultivating lines or colonies from these cells will lead to a cure for several diseases like juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and even may help paralyzed organs. Many urged President Bush to agree with former President Clinton's policy on stem cell research and that was; that the Congressional ban on funding embryo research would not be broken if the support was provided for only stem cell research and not for human cloning and no embryos would be destroyed to acquire these stem cells. President bush on the other hand decides to go against the former President's views and set his own standards.

On August 9, 2001 the President addressed the issue to the people by first explaining that it was about spending tax dollars on research for stem cells taken from human embryos. He further explained that many existed and they were taken from a processes known as vitro fertilization, which is used when couples are trying to have a child and the embryos that are extra are sometimes donated to science for stem cell research. The ones previously created are all privately funded, but scientist believes again that this research will lead to many cures for several diseases. Stem cells can be taken from other sources like; adult cells, from the umbilical cords that are discarded after a mother has a baby and from human placentas. There are many diseases, which have already been helped by the adult stem cells. Most scientist however believe that embryo stem cells hold the most promise for a range of cures because these cells can develop into any of the bodies tissues.

Scientist and researchers believe that federal funding will help attract the best scientist and help the research grow rapidly. The ethical debate is that potential life is been destroyed in order to perform this research. There is another side of the argument and that is if these embryos holding the stem cells are going to be wasted and thrown away shouldn't they be used for the greater good. Some researchers argue this statement with the belief that the five day old cluster of cells is not an embryo or an individual, it has the potential for life but isn't life because it can't survive on it's own. Ethicist argues that those clusters are as much of a person as anyone roaming the planet. The President's decision was that he was against human cloning.

He felt that the estimated 60 stem cells that are been researched privately should be federally funded because the embryos were already destroyed and the stem cells have the possibility of regenerating themselves indefinitely. He also supports aggressive federal funding for umbilical cord placenta, animal and adult stem cells. The government will spend $250 million on this type of research. Finally the President decided to name a President's council to monitor stem cell research which will set guidelines and regulations, the council will consist of scientists, doctors, ethicist's, lawyers, theologians and others, and would be chaired by Dr. Leon Kass. August 27, 2001 Tommy G. Thompson announced that the National Institutes of Health named the 10 laboratories throughout the world that had the estimated 60 stem cells that President Bush allowed federal funding for. Thompson further explained that these labs have maintained the cultures and those they were viable and was undergoing population doubling.

Thompson also stressed the point that research would begin with the federal funding but cure weren't going to be immediately. Also that the National Institute of Health was going to start a registry for the owners of the stem cells and to have the researchers gain access to them. The Senate is torn between the Democrats and the Republican's views on stem cell research. Democrats wanted to veto President Bush's decision on August 9th but they don't have enough votes to overturn. The Republicans wanted an amendment to ban human cloning.

Many from both political parties support stem cell research and are against human cloning. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. Who is the Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was not sure whether they were going to make a bill to expand the President's stem cell research policy since mainly patients and biotechnology groups were lobbing for it. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa wants funding of stem cell research without any limitations.

Sen. Arlen is the most critical of President Bush's policy on stem cell research funding. Christopher J. Dodd D-Conn. Wants to modify President Bush's policy with some "sunshine provisions" which would set up an agency who would review the number of stem cells that scientist have to study and could increase that amount over time. Democrats and some Republicans feel that because of the lack of knowledge that scientist have on the growth of the maturing stem cells that President Bush's policy will limit the scientist ability to study the "master" cells.

These "master' cells are the ones that may cure certain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and other infectious diseases. Democrats also debated with Tommy Thompson the Health and Human services secretary about the fact the less than half of the federally funded stem cells were mature enough for the complete research and that the other were not ready to be researched causing to damage important research and data collecting. Thompson argued that because stem cells an endlessly dividing that they would continue to be viable sources for the research. Thompson added that it would take years to discover any news breaking evidence and that the President's policy is taking the first and the right step towards basic stem cell research. Thompson did say that for no reason would the white house change or alter their policy to include any new or added stem cells after August 9th even if from private industries. The debate continued over exactly how many stem cells were needed to perform the proper research.

Some Democrats are even debating human safety with the stem cells that are being federally funded because they were nourished by a layer of " feeder" cells from mice that are extremely primitive. Hillary Rodman-Clinton D-N.Y. questioned if the mix between human and animal cells would lead to contamination to the human cells, and if they could get more stem cells that it would be safer and a better way to conduct research that does not involve animals. Thompson argues that he did not believe that any of the stem cells were contaminated and the Food and Drug Administration approved the stem cells with the mice feeder layers. Republicans think that they could bring a stem cell research bill to the Senate floor and include an amendment banning human cloning and that there would be a good possibility that it would be passed.

Sam Brownback R-Kan. is trying to pass a bill and get Democrats involved to ban human cloning. A similar bill was passed in the House of Representatives carried by Dave Weldon R-Fla... The National Academy of Science requested additional stem cells be retrieved and that there should be additional federal funding for those extras that would be needed. The Senate did decide after September 11th to leave the Busch administration alone. The chief executive of advanced Cell Technology, Michael West announced that his company in Massachusetts had cloned the first human embryo, which started the opponents of stem cell research to move on the anti-cloning laws. Stem cell researchers in Los Angeles are said to be working on taking stem cells from parthenogenesis, which are egg cells whose chromosomes are from the mother and in normal embryonic development.

February 2002 the National Institute of Health announced it's first research grant which was to be given to the Red Cross for their research with mouse blood lines but they turned down the $50.000 grant because they said that their interest were different and did not meet what the grand committee wanted until mid 2002. Senator Orrin G. Hatch threw the republican party through a loop when he announced on May 1, 2002 that he was going to support the to outlaw human cloning but would support cloning human embryos for research. The Senate members who oppose embryo cloning think that it is unethical, and may exploit women who would donate their eggs for research. The Senate members who are for embryo cloning feel it is an ideal source for stem cells and may cure several diseases. Sam Brownback and Mary Landrieu introduced the total ban of cloning which President Bush backed.

Gerald Ford and 40 Nobel laureates are supporting stem cell research with embryo cloning. Senators Fienstein, Kennedy, and Hatch introduced a new bill to the Senate requiring all c loners of embryos to have their research approved by the scientific and ethical advisory board. The new bill would also outlaw transferring of cloned embryos to a women's uterus and to transfer them to an artificial womb. If anyone broke these laws they would be subject to 1 million dollar fine and up to 10 years in prison. Both bills would outlaw reproductive cloning. The opponents of embryonic stem cell research think that it is wrong to create human life then destroy it to help others, when adult cells could help the same research.

Feinstein, Kennedy and Hatch want to put strict limits on how old a cloned embryo would be before it is destroyed. Most countries have that limit set at 14 days, but the senators want the United States limit to be 12 days that way it is the toughest law. The reworded bill would require the General Accounting Office and the Institute of Medicine to review the piece of legislation. The new Bill would also have strict ethical and scientific reviews for all embryo cloning research and would set protection laws for women who donate eggs for research, it would be similar to the laws for aborted fetal tissue research. David Joseph Weldon representative brought a bill to the House of Representatives to outlaw cloning embryos, whether it is to crate a child or to be used for stem cell research. 265 to 162 the House of Representatives passed the bill and also made it against the law for any patients to use cloned embryos for therapy in the United States.

Connie Mack a former Senator set up meting to inform other Senators to try and get them to join the proponents's ide with the help of Richard Klausner the former National cancer Institute and Irving Weissman a Stanford University researcher. The meeting gave and explained how the cutting-edge research is still in line with being pro-life. There are some big name stars that help gain support and publicity for the stem cell research; they are Christopher Reeve, Muhammad Ali, and Michael J. Fox. They have opened the public to Capital Hill. Jerry Zucker a Hollywood producer is another supporter of embryo stem cell research, because his twelve-year-old daughter is suffering from juvenile diabetes. She had a hard time understanding how some law makers have a stronger ethical value for skin cells who have never felt pain and don't want them to not have that chance at life but she suffers everyday and may die without the chance of the research that could cure her disease.

Majority Leader Tom Daschle had no further plans to bring up legislation on stem cell research. Senator Sam Brownback who is one of the strong opponents of embryo stem cell research pressed on by trying to take pieces of his legislation and place pieces of it in other unrelated bills to get his legislation passed. Supporter of the embryo stem cell research Senator Dianne Feinstein continues to press on with her bill to ban cloning for reproduction but to allow for research. Majority leader Tom Daschle said that she could continues to press on as long as she had enough support and votes to get it to pass. President Bush and the controlled House that approved the ban on human cloning for research or reproduction. The Senate on the other hand has split on the legislation because of the fact that the research may lead to cures for several diseases.

Senator Brownback want ed his proposal voted on after Senator Feinstien but the Majority Leader Tom Daschle said no, so Senator Brownback started piecing out his legislation into other bills. Minority Leader Trent Lott felt that Senator Brownback bill didn't appear to be that important for him to take that move and piece it up. Pushing President Bush to proceed with the executive order outlawing federally funded universities and research organizations from performing cloning. The proponents of cloning feel that the President pushing against will influence the scientific community to be afraid to press on with embryo stem cell research because in fear of criminal punishments. The Senate blocked the efforts of Senator Brownback to add anti-cloning amendment to a piece of legislation about insurance against terrorism. The Senate even went further and barred all considerations of amendments that are unrelated to the legislation to the insurance measure.

Senator Sam Brownback adds another provision that barred insurance of the patents for cloned human beings or any technology that may produce them. Proponents of the embryo stem cell research felt that the patent against embryo human cloning would effect the treatment for many critical diseases. The opponents to the patent ban explained that the government because of constitutionality ruled out human cloning patents. The Assistant Minority Leader Don Nickles did not want to delay the defense bill and discouraged his party member Senator Sam Brownback from trying to add any amendments that were unrelated, such as embryo stem cell research. Senator Mary Landrieu is working on a compromise with opponents of the embryo stem cell research, instead of offering amendments to other unrelated legislation. Majority Leader Tom Daschle believes that the legislation to outlaw human cloning for reproduction but to allow for embryo stem cell research is close to having 60 votes in the Senate to pass it to the House of Representatives to decide.