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The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 (H.R. 810) passed both houses of Congress but lacked the two-thirds majority needed to override President George W. Bush's first veto, which he exercised on July 19, 2006. It would have allowed federal funding of research on human embryos left over from fertility treatments.
The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (S.5), was similar to the vetoed Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005. The bill passed the both houses of Congress, but again lacking veto-proof majorities. President Bush vetoed the bill, again on July 19, stating that if the
legislation became law "it would compel American taxpayers -- for the first
time in our history -- to support the deliberate destruction of human
embryos. I made it clear to Congress and to the American people that I
will not allow our nation to cross this moral line."
According to Science magazine, Delaware Representative Mike Castle intends to introduce legislation again in 2008 to provide federal funding for research on new embryonic stem cell
lines.
Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah with Republican Representative Mike Castle of Delaware and Democratic Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado, all strong proponents of stem cell research and key figures behind Congressional legislation supporting expansion of federal funding for stem cell research. Senator Hatch's Office.
