Recent Congressional Action

Not much stem cell related discussion has transpired in Congress so far this year, but pro-life Congressman Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-MD) gave an okay speech on alternative methods of obtaining embryonic stem cells for research. I say it was only "okay" because it was given during a night of speeches, with no discussion following the speech. Without discussion, nothing is usually learned.

I will have more to say on the actual content of his speech later on, but I just wanted to point it out for now to my lovely readers. Some of the ideas he proposed were crap (altered nuclear transfer; deriving stem cells from organismically dead embryos; single blastomere approach), while others were great (dedifferentiation).

I'm not biased or anything. <g>

On another note, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) recently signed on as a cosponsor to the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (SCREA). Menendez was selected by outgoing Senator John Corzine (elected as Governor of New Jersey) as his replacement, so this does not come as a surprise.

His support of the SCREA means the Senate is only 25 (confirmed) votes shy of overriding a Presidential Veto. The House of Representatives, by comparison, is still over 80 (confirmed) votes away from this goal.