Talking Points
Please click one of the following talking points for more details.
We have a right to the best medical care for our families and loved ones.
More than two out of three Americans support embryonic stem cell research.
Over 100 million Americans may benefit from stem cell therapies and cures.
We have a right to the best medical care for our families and loved ones.
Medical decisions should be made by us - the families in America - and our doctors. Political leaders should lead the effort to support research, not deny us hope and cures.
If we do not protect our right to the best medical research, one day we may be forced to take our loved ones to another country for treatment. In another country we will face unknown risks instead of the safety, comfort and convenience of being treated at home in our own communities.
More than two out of three Americans support embryonic stem cell research.
Recent polls show that approximately 68% of Americans support embryonic stem cell research.
Groundbreaking stem cell research is supported by a bipartisan majority in the House and Senate, by many communities of faith, by over 80 Novel Laureates, and by every major scientific, educational and academic institution which has taken a stand on the issue.
Research into all forms of stem cell research - adult and embryonic - is endorsed by more than 500 medical and patient advocacy organizations including the American Medical Association, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the American Diabetes Association, Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Alzheimer's Association and the American Lung Association.
Stem cell therapies offer new hope for diseases and disabilities that were previously believed to be incurable.
Stem cell research is ethical: embryonic stem cells are derived from microscopic groups of cells called blastocysts. The blastocysts are unused cells that scientists obtain from in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics. There are currently over 400,000 excess blastocysts frozen in liquid nitrogen. Only those that would otherwise be discarded as medical waste are used for scientific study for cures.
Embryonic stem cell research is the true "pro-life" moral position - using medical waste to save millions of patients' lives.
Stem cell research is NOT abortion. Stem cell research involves neither pregnancy nor child.
Stem cell research is NOT cloning to create a baby. Human reproductive cloning is already illegal in California, and should be against the law in every state. It has nothing to do with stem cell research.
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) is a specific, promising new technique in stem cell research. SCNT does not involve fertilization by sperm, does not involve implantation in the womb, does not involve a womb (either real or artificial) and does not involve a mother.
There is presently no real substitute for embryonic stem cell research. Some alternative forms of research such as adult, amniotic and blood cord stem cell research also deserve study and support. However, at the moment, alternative forms of stem cell research do not hold the same potential as embryonic stem cell research.
The first clinical trials using human embryonic stem cells may be approved in 2008. There are no human studies yet using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) since this very early research has cancer-causing side effects. These side effects must be eliminated before iPS technology enters clinical trials - perhaps ten years from now.
Over 100 million Americans may benefit from stem cell therapies and cures.
As many as half of all American families may be affected by over 70 chronic diseases or conditions that could be helped through stem cell research. These diseases and conditions include Alzheimer's disease, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, HIV/AIDS, Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injury.
The current economic burden of these 70 chronic diseases and conditions is estimated at $1 trillion. By 2050 it may rise to $6 trillion. Finding cures for these diseases and conditions is critical to the fight against skyrocketing healthcare costs.
Stem cell research is for all of us. Every American has a friend or family member suffering right now from a disease or disability where stem cell therapies might help. It would be unconscionable to us to ignore this extremely important research. We must advance research to find cures.
