House Passes Stem Cell Bill
by mcjoan
Thu Jan 11, 2007 at 02:42:27 PM PDT
Bush has already promised a veto, so the battle lines are drawn but this time reconfigured with the new Democratic majority in Congress. The legislation passed today bye a 253-174 vote would loosen restrictions on stem cell research (with 37 Republicans voting for it). Unfortunately, the House vote doesn't constitute a veto-proof margin, but a bipartisan group of legislators are coordinating across the House and Senate to steer the issue.
"This is not a 'one bill and you're out,' but a two-year time frame with potentially multiple legislative possibilities," said a research supporter involved in Capitol Hill strategizing, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to comment publicly.
"They can stretch it out," the strategist said, so Bush and his backers in Congress must keep saying no to research that the public says it strongly supports. The research advocates "can make it as painful as possible."
Congressional leaders driving the legislation say they hope to avoid all-out war. Compromise language "is welcome," Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) said Tuesday at a news briefing, conceding that Bush has rebuffed all entreaties so far.
But if it comes to war, members of Congress and aides from both parties said, supporters have many options not available to them last year. They range from subtle moves that could enhance the odds of overriding a veto to heavy-handed tactics such as attaching the bill to must-pass budget legislation.
"I'm confident we'll have a veto-proof bill this time," said Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), one of three high-powered Republican supporters of stem cell research who attended the Tuesday briefing. In an odd Washington moment, all three seemed briefly grateful that the Democrats were back in charge.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who has led the stem cell charge in the Senate along with Specter, agreed. "One way or another, we're going to get this done this year," he said yesterday in a meeting with Washington Post editors and reporters.
The legislation (pdf) allows addtional stem cell lines; imposes ethical guidelines; contains reporting guidelines; and authorizes federal funds only for stem cells from embryos that fertility clinics would discard. Public opinion polling consistently supports this research and Democratic candidates featuring the issue in their campaigns in 2006 fared well. Expect to see more Republican defections as the issue plays out and Bush's political capital diminishes.
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