This week--probably on Thursday, June 7-- the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a bill (S. 5) to fund research that requires the killing of human embryos. The Senate passed this bill in May and now the House will vote on it. Sponsored by Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), S. 5 will send your tax dollars to research on human embryos that supposedly are "leftover" from in vitro fertilization. Instead of promoting the adoption of these human embryos, this bill would require their death.
As you may know, President Bush has decided that such research involve cells taken from human embryos could be funded so long as the cells were obtained on or prior to August 9, 2001. Since then, the government has funded research on over 22 stem cell lines. Fortunately, the President's policy erected a wall and does not encourage the further killing of human embryos for these cells.
The Reid-Harkin bill will tear down this wall permanently!
Just as abortion is currently legal, sadly, killing human embryos is completely legal. As a result, this week's debate is really about federal funding. We don't federally fund abortion even though it is legal. Likewise, liberals should not force U.S. taxpayers to fund research that requires the killing of embryos. Last July, President Bush vetoed a similar bill and the House upheld the veto. This year, the battle has become more intense. The House passed a similar bill (H.R. 3) in January. The Senate then passed a slightly different version in April, which the House will now vote on and send it to the President. We expect the President to veto S. 5. The House does not have the votes to overturn a veto, but we must make sure no Members who opposed H.R. 3 in January switch their votes to support S. 5.
Please contact your Representatives and let them know that you strongly oppose S. 5. Call right away at 202-224-3121 and ask for your senators' offices.
Thank you and God bless you.
Tell Your Representative to Oppose S.5
(Source: Tony Perkins' Washington Update; Special Alert; 6/4/07)
