Senate Passes Stem-Cell Measure Without Veto-Proof Majority

[orleans]

Source: Bloomberg

By William Roberts

April 11 (Bloomberg) -- The Senate fell short of a veto- proof margin in approving legislation today to lift President George W. Bush's 2001 ban on federal funding for new embryonic stem-cell research.

The Senate voted 63-34 in favor of expanding federal funding for stem-cell research using discarded human embryos.

Supporters sought to secure the 67 votes that would be needed to override a promised presidential veto. Bush will veto the bill when it reaches his desk, the White House said yesterday in a statement.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aCKnWMY5TeMc&refer=us

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(not good enough!)

[Zookeeper]

1. What's worse is that S.30, Norm Coleman's bill....

DID pass. It limits stem cell research to embryos that are "naturally dead."

I'm really upset!

[Mass]

3. Why did it matter as the other one passed.

Somebody has to explain that to me. Given that Harkin, Kennedy, Kerry, and Leahy voted for both, I have trouble believing that it exclude the other bill.

I would clearly have preferred that the first bill has a veto proof majority, but can somebody explain to me why the Coleman bill is not better than nothing.

[Zookeeper]

4. It's worse than nothing because....

it limits federal funding for stem cell research to "naturally dead" (i.e. probably defective) embryos.

My guess is that it passed because Kerry, Kennedy and others didn't bother to read the bill and understand the difference.

I called Senator Klobuchar's office earlier today to point out the difference, and the person who answered the phone didn't know how she was going to vote on S.30 and wasn't familiar with the bill at all.

On edit: StemPac has a good explanation:

http://www.stempac.com/

[blondeatlast]

5. It actually places FURTHER restrictions on federally-funded research with blastocysts.

But W gets his lovely "signing" moment and his enablers get to go on record as "supporting" SCR.

I'm furious--between sobs.

[karynnj]

26. The radio report that I heard did NOT say that

I think the current status was that the only lines were the ones that already exitsed. They were never as many as Bush had said and many are contaminated with Mouse genes.

This sounds like it adds more lines - if it could be done with dead embryos. It is clearly not as good as S5.

[geardaddy]

6. Coleman's gonna get swept outta office.

Go Al Franken!

[LSK]

10. what does this mean???

Mr. COLEMAN (for himself and Mr. ISAKSON) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and ordered held at the desk

[happygoluckytoyou]

2. reagan would have voted "where are my jellybeans"

let him veto
he won't be there forever
neither will the nay voters
especially those up for reelection in 2008

if you have a sin-ator who votes against this, try to remember him/her in 2008, when we get to repair this democracy

just like iraq, though, we need to force the vote, and force the veto, it let's this aging population who will one day NEED the results of the research to see what their representatives are really made from

has anyone else noticed how those GOP coming up for REELECTION in 2008 are beginning to vote for their reelection

good bye GOP
you will be missed
tear ;-(
okay, i'm over it

[madrchsod]

7. i`m glad he`s decided not to kill something

even though those "discarded human embryos" are dead and are going to be get rid of especially because they are "useless or unpleasant"

oops! to complicated for the boy in charge

[Mass]

8. Any chance they can convince Casey and Nelson, who voted NO, and

Landrieu and Dodd, who abstained, to voted against a veto. In this case, they could get the 67 votes.

[maddogesq]

9. In Landrieu's defense:

I caught her after the second vote saying she wanted to go on record that she would have been a yea had she been there, but she did not get back in time. And Dodd, frankly, is a no brainer on a veto override. That gives us 65 votes. Casey and Nelson I am not sure about, althought someone needs to remind Mr. Nelson he is a farking Democrat.

[RamboLiberal]

11. Same with Casey - I called his office today

and reminded him we didn't vote for him to vote his conscience on this!

[NovaNardis]

25. I have to believe

that Casey might be willing to vote down a Bush veto on this. Be willing to stand up for the majority of your constituents, Bob.

[Wesin04]

15. Isn't it Wednesday?

The middle of most work-weeks? Where the heck was she that she couldn't get back in time for a vote as significant as this?

[PaDem]

14. Casey won't be moved on this..........

we knew this when we voted him into office last November.

[HockeyMom]

12. I simply don't get it

Outlawing government funded embryonic research will not save one single "baby" and can potentially cost so many living, breathing human beings their lives.

400,000 frozen IVF embryos are never going to become 400,000 babies. Not even from a biological standpoint. Do they really think that a couple that doesn't want anymore of their "frozen children" are going to have them because government says not to "kill babies"? Do these right to life people think that these couples that don't want to have anymore kids, would now suddenly donate their embryos to other couples so THEY can carry them to term and raise them? I will not even get into the science of not all embryos implant, naturally or otherwise. According to every statistic I have read, they will simply be flushed down sinks.

I can only give my opinion as the mother of 2. I did not use IVF so I cannot know what these couples have gone through. The only thing I can say is that I choose to have two children and ONLY two children. If I knew there were 5 or 6 of my embryos in a freezer somewhere, that would not make me want to have anymore children. It certainly would not make me want to "donate" them to somebody else to raise them.

Call me selfish, but personally I would either donate them to research or flush them down the sink.

[Hippo_Tron]

13. Any chance that Senator Johnson will be functional soon?

Landrieu and Dodd are likely yea votes and Johnson would put us at 66. Somebody in the leadership has to be able to convince Casey or Nelson that a veto-override is damaging enough to the Republic Party that they need to just suck it up and give them the last vote.

BTW, Sununu and Coleman are going to get crushed on this. Talent was destroyed in a red state over it and both of them have to run in blue states.

[HappyWeasel]

18. Well, we need to do it again and we need to punish Nelson for his insolence.

Nelson is worse than Palpatine(I-D-CT). We should kick Nelson otta teh party!

[Hippo_Tron]

20. I disagree, Nelson voted correctly on the Iraq resolutions unlike Palpatine

And unlike Palpatine he's not talking about bolting the party. I'd much rather have Nelson than Palpatine.

[TwilightGardener]

16. Oh, Lordy, both of those Nebraska boys need a good spanking--

I expect it from Mr. Right-Winger (Hagel), but NELSON???

[Warren DeMontague]

17. So 51% of the USA in 2004 is a "mandate"

but 63% of the Senate means bupkus.

[stevedeshazer]

19. Okay, GWB, veto it. Send your party down the river for the next seven generations.

This is good only in the sense that it will increase pressure on all the Senate Repubs up for reselection. Those that voted against this will be hard pressed to explain why in 2008.

Still, why the hell is this even an issue? The fact that the 20-something percent of people being manipulated here still have any political capital is really, really sad.

[Erika]

21. This country is sick of the ultra right minority setting the agenda

for the rest of us. The GOP will be dead in 2008.

[Initech]

22. Ever notice how the bills that Bush tends to veto are the ones that are beneficial to everyone else?

Bill to back support for Iraq withdrawl? Vetoed.

Bill to back funding for stem cell research? Vetoed.

[Botany]

23. So it is o.k. to just throw the blastocysts (sp???) away?

The administration ``strongly opposes'' Senate passage of the legislation because it ``
would use federal taxpayer dollars to support and encourage the destruction of human life
for research,'' the White House statement said.

[annabanana]

27. YES! THIS IS THE WAY TO SAY IT! (framing, people). . . n/t

[19jet54]

24. Bush is an Idiot...

... arrogant prick!