House of Representatives Votes to Reverse Bush Ban on Stem Cell Research

New York Times writes:

The House of Representatives voted today to ease restrictions on federal financing for embryonic stem cell research ... The 238-to-194 vote in favor, far short of the 290 needed to override a presidential veto, sends the issue to the Senate, where an identical measure is pending.

Stem cell research has considerable support in the Senate as well. Its chief sponsor is Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, who heads the Senate subcommittee that controls federal financing for medical research ... The House's action, and the likelihood of approval in the Senate as well, sets the stage for the first veto to be cast by President Bush, who reiterated his opposition this afternoon to the current legislation.

Hours before the House vote, Mr. Bush said that despite the potential for medical breakthroughs, that the use of human embryos in the studies was too high a cost to pay. In 2001, President Bush prohibited federal financing of research on embryonic stem cells, except work on the limited number of cell lines developed before his decision.

Representative James R. Langevin, a Rhode Island Democrat, who was paralyzed at age 16 after a gun accidentally discharged in a police station and severed his spinal cord, said he supported the embryonic stem cell legislation despite opposing abortion.

"My life as a quadriplegic is certainly filled with challenges and obstacles," he said. "It's motivated me to help create a culture that values and protects life from its beginning to its end. For me, being pro-life also means fighting for policies that will eliminate pain and suffering and help people enjoy longer, healthier lives and to me, support for embryonic stem cell research is entirely consistent with that position."