All over but the waiting?

I get about 7 or 8 updates a day on stem cells, but can’t always read them all. Part of the reason is a glitch in my e-mail boxes that lets mail come in but not function properly. My main mailbox doesn’t read hyperlinks. So, it’s taken me a while to discover an article that preceded the update I received today headlined, “Stem cell scientists mourn Frist’s change.”

The article from Science Daily identifies Frist as supporting stem cell research in 2001, but backing down after Bush’s moratorium restricting federal funding to existing stem cell lines.

Articles referenced from this one confirmed my suspicions about Frist—who exerts great control over which bills are debated in the Senate. I was sure he was blocking this bill, but had no substantiation in the media until today. A May 24 article provided the following information:

Hatch's bill, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, has 32 co-sponsors, but a Senate aide, who requested anonymity, told UPI the Republican leadership "is not eager to move on this," so legislation supporters will have to overcome that opposition to get the measure through.

This might involve attaching the stem-cell legislation to a popular bill that has broad support or finding a way to work with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., to allow it to come to a vote on its own.

So. . . the Senate is on leave until July 11 and the calendar identifies consideration of H.R. 2360, the Homeland Security Appropriations bill as the main item on the agenda.

I wouldn’t count on any changes in stem cell legislation in this session of Congress.

Marie Godfrey, PhD   <!--break-->