|
By Kent Larsen
LDS Senators United: Bennett Supports Stem Cell Research; Congressmen Divided
WASHINGTON, DC -- Utah Senator Bob Bennett announced Friday that he supports
allowing federal funds to be used for stem cell research, putting all five
LDS Senators on record as supporting the research. The surprising
development led Mormon News to survey the views of the 12 Mormons in the US
House of Representatives, finding that the congressmen were very divided on
the issue. US political analysts now believe that a majority in both houses
now support the research.
Of the 12 Mormons serving in the US House of Representatives, four, two
Democrats and two Republicans, say that they favor federal funding for stem
cell research. In contrast, just two have taken a position against the
funding to date, Utah Congressmen Jim Hansen and Chris Cannon. In addition,
while the offices of Wally Herger and Ernest Istook indicated that their
Congressmen are undecided (Herger) or haven't yet taken a position (Istook),
they are said to be leaning against funding. The last four Congressmen are
either undecided or haven't yet announced a position.
In Senator Bennett's case, he said he decided to favor the funding because
of his daughter's recent, unsuccessful, experiences with fertility
procedures. Bennett said her experiences showed him "that all embryos are
not created equal; some are healthy enough to have a chance of survival, and
some are not." He added, "Our daughter's doctors were able to determine, in
advance of implantation, which embryos were healthy enough to survive. Those
that were not were discarded. ... She believes, as do I, that it would be
wonderful if these nonviable embryos could be used to give hope to others
suffering from life-threatening diseases rather than ca aside as useless."
Bennett's announcement led Gayle Ruzicka, head of the conservative Utah
Eagle Forum and an LDS Church member, to lament, "It's a sad day for Utah
when we can't count on at least one of our senators to be pro-life." Ruzicka
went on to point out that she has a daughter with diabetes, one of the
diseases that scientists believe can benefit from the results of stem cell
research, "We've had many crises with her. But she has said publicly, 'Don't
you dare justify killing an unborn child to improve my quality of life.' "
However, a recent Deseret News/KSL poll shows that in Utah, 62 percent
either strongly favored or somewhat favored funding stem cell research while
only 16 percent were strongly opposed.
Meanwhile, should the issue reach the US Congress, it is likely to attract
broad support. A group of 61 senators recently sent letters to President
Bush urging him to allow the funding, and Senator Arlen Spector (R-PA) says
he believes at least 75 senators support the funding. That support leads
observers to expect a similar level of support in the House of
Representatives -- possibly enough to override a veto, should Congress
introduce and pass a law on the issue.
Currently stem cell research is covered by a congressional ban that
prohibits research involving human embryos, but the Clinton administration
found a way around the ban and issued rules allowing the research, provided
the stem cells had already been extracted from embryos. Bush had planned to
quietly reverse the Clinton rules, but pressure from the scientific and
medical communities, along with an memo from Utah Senator Orrin Hatch that
has led many in Congress to re-evaluate their positions, has made the issue
very public and led Bush to re-examine his position.
Following Hatch's announcement, the LDS Church indicated, in response to
press queries, that it has not taken a position on the research, except to
say "it merits cautious scrutiny." In addition to Senators Hatch and
Bennett, the other Mormon Senators are Gordon Smith (R-OR), Harry Reid
(D-NV) and Larry Crapo (R-ID).
Positions of Mormon Congressmen on Stem Cell Research
| Congressman | Party/State | Position |
| Jeff Flake | R - AZ | Undecided |
| John Doolittle | R - CA | No response |
| Wally Herger | R - CA | Undecided (leaning against) |
| Buck McKeon | R - CA | Favor |
| Mark Udall (MH) | D - CO | Favor |
| Mike Simpson | R - ID | Favor |
| Tom Udall | D - NM | Undecided |
| Ernest Istook | R - OK | No Position (against?) |
| Jim Hansen | R - UT | Against |
| Jim Matheson | D - UT | Favor |
| Chris Cannon | R - UT | Against |
| Eni Faleomaveaga | D - Am. Samoa | Undecided |
(MH) - Has Mormon heritage, but doesn't consider himself Mormon
Sources:
Bennett Backs Funding Stem Cell Research
Salt Lake Tribune 22Jul01 T2
By Jim Woolf: Salt Lake Tribune
Bennett supports stem-cell research
Deseret News 21Jul01 T2
By Lee Davidson: Deseret News Washington correspondent
62% of Utahns support stem-cell research
Deseret News 21Jul01 T4
By Lois M. Collins: Deseret News staff writer
Poll also finds majority wants limits on abortion
|
