“Mr. President: Veto This Bill”

Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana voices opposition to taxpayer funding of human embryo research:

Washington, Jul 18 -

WASHINGTON, DC - The following is Congressman Mike Pence’s statement today made in advance of a Senate vote that would allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

“We gather today in respectful opposition to the Castle-DeGette bill: A bill that authorizes the use of federal tax dollars to fund the destruction of human embryos for scientific research.

“Assuming H.R. 810 passes the Senate today, on behalf of millions of pro-life Americans, we say, Mr. President, veto this bill.

“As we begin this debate, I am confident that we will hear the supporters of this bill argue in the name of Ronald Reagan that this research is consistent with his long-held views about the sanctity of life. But it was Ronald Reagan who wrote, ‘we cannot diminish the value of one category of human life-the unborn-without diminishing the value of all human life.’

“The supporters will also argue that this is a debate between science and ideology…that destroying human embryos for research is necessary to cure a whole host of maladies from spinal cord injuries to Parkinson’s.

“But the facts suggest otherwise. To date, embryonic stem cell research has not produced a single medical treatment, where ethical, adult stem cell research has produced some 67 medical miracles. Physicians on our side will make the case for the ethical alternative of adult stem cell research and Congress today will greatly expand funding in this area.

“But the debate over the legitimacy or potential of embryonic stem cells is actually not the point of this debate.

“We are here simply to decide whether Congress should take the taxpayer dollars of millions of pro-life Americans and use them to fund the destruction of human embryos for research.

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(emphasis added)