Senate OKs stem cell study

The Senate voted Tuesday to allow federal funding of research that removes stem cells from, and kills, human embryos that were soon to be discarded anyway. The measure passed despite a vow from President Bush to use his first-ever veto to stop it, possibly as early as today.

Ironically, among those helping to move Bush toward his first veto was a fellow Republican, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, who helped lead the public fight for the bill. Utah philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr. has also fought behind the scenes with big political donations to promote such measures to help cancer research.

The Senate voted 63-37 to pass the bill, which is four votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the promised veto.

Voting for the bill were 44 Democrats and only 19 Republicans — including Hatch and Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah. Opposing it were 36 Republicans and just one Democrat.

The House fell 50 votes short of a two-thirds majority needed to override a veto when it previously passed the bill on a 238-194 vote. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, voted for it then, while Reps. Chris Cannon and Rob Bishop, both R-Utah, opposed it.

In 2001, Bush restricted federal stem-cell research funding only to projects that used stem-cell lines then in existence.

The new bill would extend federal funding to research with stem cells — which can develop into virtually any tissue in the body — taken from extra embryos that were created by in-vitro fertilization and were about to be discarded anyway by parents.

Senate debate centered on whether that is moral, and when human life begins.

Hatch told the Senate, "I do not question that an embryo is a living cell. But I do not believe that a frozen embryo in a fertility-clinic freezer constitutes human life."

Hatch has said that after visiting with doctors — including several from Utah's Huntsman Cancer Institute — and after prayer and meditation, he concluded that an embryo is human life only if it is implanted in a mother's womb.

Hatch has said that among those who helped convince him was philanthropist Huntsman, who has said that the big political donations he makes go mostly to support politicians who will help battle cancer. He and his wife have given more than $270,000 to federal party groups and candidates in the past three election cycles.

When Hatch — nationally known as a strong opponent of abortion — announced his support for embryonic stem-cell research four years ago, he invoked the wrath of pro-life groups that believe life begins at conception. They were furious that Hatch's support gave political cover to other Republicans or conservative Democrats also to support it.