Posted on 06/17/2007 9:14:42 AM PDT by Quiet Man Jr.
Supporters of stem cell research refuse to give up on getting their legislation signed into law this year.
As President Bush prepares to veto the measure Congress sent him last week, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is planning to attach the pro-research legislation to the spending bill being crafted by his Appropriations labor subcommittee.
That raises the stakes on the so-called “Labor-H” spending bill. House Appropriations Chairman Dave Obey (D-Wis.) has been trying to build a veto-proof majority for the bill, adding sweeteners to the bill such as an increase in abstinence-only education.
Bush already has threatened to veto spending bills that exceed his spending thresholds. Including legislation that repeals Bush’s 2001 stem cell research compromise could give him further incentive to nix the bill.
“We would be very disappointed if the president were to veto an appropriations bills that has important … education programs to make a statement about research that millions of Americans support,” Harkin spokeswoman Jennifer Mullin said. “But that’s the president’s prerogative.”
It’s part of a strategy by stem cell research supporters to keep the pressure on Bush by adding their legislation to “must-pass” bills.
“We are absolutely committed to making this law,” said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), a leader on stem cell issues in the House. “Republican leaders would just as soon this go away, but we’re not going to go away.”
The House voted 247-176 last week to send the stem cell legislation to Bush for an all-but-certain veto. The bill would lift some funding restrictions the president put in place in August 2001: For example, it would allow research funding on stem cells from surplus embryos discarded by fertility clinics.
DeGette said that when absences are taken into account, supporters gained two votes over the 253-174 vote on an earlier stem cell bill in January. That means that a stand-alone stem cell bill would be 30 votes shy of what would be needed to override a presidential veto.
The Senate passed the bill in April on a 63-34 vote, with three senators absent.
Because the death of opponent Sen. Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.) leaves the Senate with only 99 members, the upper chamber could override the veto. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said he will not take advantage of the vacancy to do so.
Bush is expected to veto the stand-alone bill June 18, according to a congressional source.
Opponents of embryonic stem cell research say it is similar to abortion because human embryos are destroyed.
Supporters say the research promises treatments for disabling conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s.
Stem cell research enjoys strong support in polls, and Democrats have said they will seek to punish Republicans who oppose it at the ballot box.
The Left has no conscience. America needs to wake up and realize how destructive last year’s election has become to our country.
Tom Harkin is absolutely ghoulish. I hope he is defeated in 2008, although I don’t see it happening.
This is one area FedGov should stay out of. Education should remain local.
Can’t this be removed with a line item veto?
I despise everyone of those Iowegian lowlifes who ever voted for that commie scum Harkin.
There is not Line Item Veto at the Federal Level.
However, I am sure President Bush and Hillary Clinton would enjoy such power.
Huh. I thought the President had the ability....need to go study more government. Holding my nose. BBL
Huh. I thought the President had the ability....need to go study more government. Holding my nose. BBL
Commie Tommy Harkin has always been vulnerable. His winning margins have always been small. Problem is, the Iowa GOP has stuck with the same losing strategy in opposing him for a couple of decades now.
Ok, Just a Bill Clinton thing huh?
Tom Harkin . . . another Roman Catholic carrying the banner for his faith in today’s Congress! (/sarc)
Maybe Steve King could win. His strong stance on border security would be helpful, given the current political climate.
He’s exactly the kind of candidate that could beat Harkin.
I’ve said it for over ten years, concerning this exact subject: You can’t beat a socialist warrior with a RINO wimp...you can only beat him with a conservative warrior. And Steve King is definitely one.
I want permanent legislation that requires bills in states and Congress to be ONE ITEM bills, only.
I am sick and tired of all the piggy-backing, where too much stuff gets hidden from the public.
I also want line item veto for the President and all Governors.
I truly believe that it will clean up spending problems and expose the worst offenders of same.
If I am running a business, I don’t just write ONE check each month for “EXPENSES”. I know exactly what each and every expense of running my business costs me.
Why cannot government at all levels be the same???
By the way, five years ago, the party had their chance to take out Harkin, in the person of Bill Salier...one of the sharpest young candidates I’ve ever seen. Instead, the Rove axis pulled out every stop to financially and politically reinforce uber-RINO Greg Ganske...who, of course, predictably, went on to be crushed by Harkin. Argh...
Bush is going to sign the bill. As a matter of fact he is going to insist that the abstinence education be removed from the bill.
I would go so far as to say the President will take that abstinence eduction funding and send it to Planned Parenthood.
Since the President is such a liberal as we have been calling him for the last six months and he could care less about his base.
I guess we’ll see, eh.
Here in MO there was a petition to vote on stem cell research with the question not differentiating between adult and embryonic stem cells. The petition was one of 5 being presented to COLLEGE KIDS. Of the students I watched, none read the petition before signing. The Clair McKill campaign for stem cell research was very well done, in hollywood style, not informing of the truth about the difference in the procedures. I believe if the truth were told, even on billboards-people would make the right decision. And believe me when I say they are not being taught the truth in the public evolutionary school systems. USA biology education is based on evolution, thus making man, created in the image of God, equal with the maggot. Too bad they don’t teach logic, spontaneous generation and probability statistics along with it.
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