Congress next week is expected to send to President Bush Senate-approved legislation (S 5) that would allow federal funding for research using stem cells derived from human embryos originally created for fertility treatments and willingly donated by patients, the AP/Boston Herald reports (Espo, AP/Boston Herald, 5/30). Federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research is allowed only for research using embryonic stem cell lines created on or before Aug. 9, 2001, under a policy announced by Bush on that date.

The Senate in April voted 63-34 to pass the bill, called the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. The measure differs from a House-approved bill (HR 3) of the same name because it includes language that would require NIH to research and fund methods of creating embryonic stem cell lines without destroying embryos.

Bush has threatened to veto the measure (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 4/12). Several Democratic officials on Wednesday said that advocates of the measure appear to lack the two-thirds majority required to override a presidential veto. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), who supports the legislation, said that if the president vetoes the bill "it will just show his complete unwillingness to look at this research that holds the potential for cure of these diseases" (AP/Boston Herald, 5/30).