President Bush on Friday vowed to veto a bill (HR 810) that would loosen restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research because the research results in the destruction of human embryos, the Washington Times reports (Sammon, Washington Times, 5/21). The legislation, which could come to a vote this week in the House, would allow researchers to receive federal funding for the study of embryonic stem cells derived from embryos originally created for fertility treatments and willingly donated by patients. The bill would not allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on stem cell lines or embryos created expressly for research purposes. The current embryonic stem cell research policy -- which Bush announced on Aug. 9, 2001 -- limits federal funding for the research to stem cell lines created on or before that date. Critics of Bush's policy have said that the embryonic stem cell lines available for federally funded research are not biologically diverse, are contaminated with nonhuman material and are useless for research into possible cures for degenerative diseases (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 5/20). Bush -- who has never vetoed a bill as president -- said he would not hesitate to use the first veto of his presidency to prevent the stem cell research bill from becoming law, which he said would violate his principle that research that "destroys life in order to save life" should not receive federal funding, the Los Angeles Times reports (Curtius/Wallsten, Los Angeles Times, 5/21). Bush added, "I'm a strong supporter of adult stem cell research, of course. But I made it very clear to the Congress that the use of federal money, taxpayers' money, to promote science which destroys life in order to save life, is -- I'm against that."

Bush vs. Congress
If Bush vetoes the legislation, it could prompt a "showdown" between the president and Congress, where the measure has bipartisan support, the New York Times reports (Gay Stolberg, New York Times, 5/21). Rep. Michael Castle (R-Del.), a primary sponsor of HR 810, in response to Bush's veto threat said in a statement that the bill does not "run afoul" of Bush's principles, adding that the measure "draws a strict ethical line by only allowing federally funded research on stem cell lines that were derived ethically from donated embryos determined to be in excess" (McKinnon, Wall Street Journal, 5/23). Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), co-sponsor of the measure, also spoke out against Bush's veto threat, saying, "It's disappointing that the president would threaten to use his first veto on a bill that holds promise for cures to diseases that affect millions of Americans," adding, "Support for expanding federal stem cell research in an ethical manner remains strong in Congress" (Riechmann, AP/Las Vegas Sun, 5/22). Castle on Friday predicted that the House -- which is expected to vote on the bill as early as Tuesday -- will pass the measure but that the chamber will not have the two-thirds majority required to override a presidential veto, according to the New York Times (New York Times, 5/21). The bill currently has nearly 200 co-sponsors in the House, but it would take 290 votes to override a veto, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Herman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/21). The measure also has a "good chance" of passing in the Senate, according to the Baltimore Sun (Hirschfeld Davis/Kohn, Baltimore Sun, 5/21).

Bush Disapproves of South Korean Cloning Study
Bush on Friday also "expressed disapproval" regarding Thursday's announcement that South Korean scientists have created 11 genetically matched human embryonic stem cell lines, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (McCullough, Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/21). Woo Suk Hwang, Shin Yong Moon and colleagues from Seoul National University in South Korea used the somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning technique to create 11 embryonic stem cell lines that are genetic matches to patients ranging in age from two to 56, according to a study published online on May 19 in the journal Science. By producing stem cells that are the genetic match of patients, the researchers believe that such cells could be more effective in treating those patients because the cells are less likely to be rejected by their immune systems. The South Korean researchers earlier had created a single stem cell line from a cloned embryo, but their technique was so onerous that many scientists doubted that it could be useful for creating treatments. However, the researchers believe the techniques described in the current study eventually could lead to treatments for a variety of conditions, including diabetes and Alzheimer's disease (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 5/20). In reaction to the study, Bush said, "I'm very worried about cloning. I worry about a world in which cloning becomes acceptable" (Baker, Washington Post, 5/21).

CQ's Schuler Examines Two Stem Cell Bills
Congressional Quarterly reporter Kate Schuler in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ" examines debates in the House over the Castle-sponsored embryonic stem cell research bill and another measure sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) that would encourage the collection of stem cells from umbilical cord blood (Schuler, "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ," 5/23). The second measure likely will be similar to legislation proposed by Smith in July 2003 that would have authorized $15 million in fiscal year 2004 and $30 million in FY 2005 to subsidize blood centers throughout the United States to collect, prepare and store blood from the umbilical cords of newborns (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 5/19). According to Schuler, both bills are expected to pass ("Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ," 5/23).

Broadcast Coverage
Several broadcast programs reported on the federal stem cell legislation and the South Korean announcement. Some of them are summarized below.

• ABCNews' "This Week": The segment includes comments from Sens. George Allen (R-Va.) and Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) (Stephanopoulos, "This Week," ABCNews, 5/22). In addition, the program's "The List" featured comments about stem cell research from Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of the Rev. Billy Graham, and Dana Reeve, the widow of the late actor and stem cell research advocate Christopher Reeve. A transcript of "The List" is available online.
  


• CBS' "Evening News": The segment includes comments from Bush; Castle; Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Michael Levy of Shady Grove Fertility Clinic; and Leonard Zon, a pediatrician at Harvard University and president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (Borger, "Evening News," CBS, 5/20). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
  


• CBS' "Face the Nation": The segment includes comments from Sens. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) (Schieffer, "Face the Nation," CBS, 5/22). The complete transcript is available online.
  


• NPR's "All Things Considered": The segment includes comments from Graham Lotz, Reeve and Harvard stem cell researcher David Shaywitz (Marshall-Genzer, "All Things Considered," NPR, 5/22). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
  


• NPR's "Day to Day": NPR's Alex Chadwick discusses the study with Slate contributor William Saletan. The segment also includes comments from Bush (Chadwick, "Day to Day," NPR, 5/20). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
  


• NPR's "Talk of the Nation/Science Friday": NPR science correspondent Richard Harris discusses the study (Flatow, "Talk of the Nation/Science Friday," NPR, 5/20). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
  


• PBS' "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer": The segment includes comments from David Scadden, co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (Suarez, "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," PBS, 5/20). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.