WASHINGTON (July 19, 2006)—Richard M. Doerflinger, Deputy Director,
Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops (USCCB), commended President Bush for his remarks and actions
regarding proposed legislation on stem cell research.
The President today (July 19) vetoed H.R. 810, which would have forced
U.S. taxpayers to encourage the destruction of human embryos for their
stem cells. He later gave an address at the White House.
This is the text of Mr. Doerflinger’s statement.
“We commend President Bush today for his remarks and actions regarding
proposed legislation on stem cell research.
In a major address in the East Room of the White House, the President
insisted that progress in treating devastating diseases must be pursued in
ways that are both effective and morally sound.
Illustrating his theme was the presence in the East Room of children who
were adopted when they were “spare” frozen embryos, and of patients who
are grateful for the treatments they received for brain damage, leukemia
and other conditions using adult and umbilical cord blood stem cells.
Their support for the President’s approach dramatized the need to uphold
all human lives equally, not destroy some in the quest to help others.
Prior to his speech the president vetoed H.R. 810, which would have forced
U.S. taxpayers to encourage the destruction of human embryos for their
stem cells. He also signed into law S. 3504, a bill unanimously approved
by both chambers of Congress to prevent the grotesque practice of
“farming” unborn children in human or animal wombs in order to harvest
their tissue for research.
A third bill, to fund ways to obtain cells with the properties of
embryonic stem cells without creating or harming human embryos (S. 2754),
was unfortunately not before the President today, because it failed to
receive the two-thirds support needed for expedited approval in the House
despite receiving unanimous Senate approval. However, we are grateful that
the President said he will use his executive authority to ensure that this
promising avenue of research is funded.
We join the President in inviting Congress and the scientific community to
work together on this issue for the good of all. As he said in his
address, ethics and science must not be placed at odds, but work together
to serve the cause of humanity.”