The bi-partisan push to undo some of the White House’s heartless stem cell policy is making significant headway and should make for an intense political showdown in the coming months.
Just last month, Rep. Charles Bass, a New Hampshire Republican, helped push the issue back onto the House agenda with a proposal to scale back Bush’s 2001 policy. It quickly picked up broad Dem support, some GOP allies (including Delaware’s Michael Castle), and a bi-partisan companion bill sponsored by Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).
It’s reached the point in which the measure is finally ready for an up-or-down vote in the House.
The House leadership has agreed to allow a floor vote on a bill that would loosen the restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research imposed by President Bush in 2001, according to members of Congress and others privy to the arrangement.
The vote, expected to take place within the next two to three months, would be the first of its kind on the politically charged topic since Bush declared much of the research off-limits to federal funding. The cells show promise as treatments for many diseases but have stirred intense controversy because they are retrieved from human embryos, which are destroyed in the process.
“We’re very pleased,” said Rep. Michael N. Castle (R-Del.), a supporter of policy change who helped broker the deal. “This is an indication they recognize the importance of this.”
This could be a moment for a real breakthrough. Republicans are reeling from their poor handling of the Schiavo matter and many will be hesitant to block a measure that holds so much promise for so many. Moreover, stem-cell research has broad support among the public, growing support among Republicans who have credibility on social issues (including senators like Orrin Hatch to John McCain), and even Nancy Reagan is on our side.
As the Post noted today, last year 206 members of the House, including 31 Republicans and many opposed to abortion, signed letters asking Bush to reconsider, as did 58 senators. This year, opponents of Bush’s restrictions should do even better — it already has 181 co-sponsors in the House.
Keep an eye on this one. It’s going to get interesting.