Stem Cell challenge made to House Democrats

By In the news
In: Measure 37
Tuesday August 5, 2008

[Oregon Right to Life Release]
OREGON RIGHT TO LIFE CALLS ON HOUSE DEMOCRATS TO
REJECT FAILED EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH

Salem, OR – 8/5/08 – House Majority Leader Dave Hunt has recently stated that under his leadership the 2009 Oregon House of Representatives will aggressively revisit their support of taxpayer funding for embryonic stem cell research.

In 2007, taxpayer funding measure HB 2801 was defeated. HB 2801 would have established a committee to oversee and issue taxpayer supported research grants to pursue stem cell research.

Gayle Atteberry, Executive Director of Oregon Right to Life said, “It’s a shame that in the midst of a struggling economy, and when families have to tighten their budgets, the House Democrats want to fund research that’s only proven results are false promises.”

Atteberry continued, “Embryonic stem cell research is laden with scientific, ethical and moral concerns and in over 20 years has failed to produce a single human medical trial. However, adult stem cell research, which is being ignored by Hunt and others, has a history of not just clinical trials but proven treatments.”

Lois Anderson, Political Director for Oregon Right to Life says, “The Democratic leader’s fascination with embryonic stem cell research is completely politically driven. But voters are tired of politicians spending money on project they think will make them popular.”

To harvest embryonic stem cells, researchers are required to destroy a maturing human embryo. Adult stem cells can be harvested from multiple places in a post-neonate body as well as from umbilical cord blood; the donor is not harmed or killed in the process.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health there are currently 2102 U.S. clinical trials on adult stem cell treatments. There’s not a single embryonic stem cell treatment undergoing clinic trial.

“Many politicians have said they support embryonic stem cell research because they want to “˜help people’. If they really want to help people they will stop wasting people’s tax dollars on failed research. If they really want to help people they will start supporting the research that’s currently curing people. That research is adult stem cell research” said Gayle Atteberry

Additional information available at:
www.ortl.org/stem-cell-cloning
www.stemcellresearchfacts.org
www.clinicaltrials.gov

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