http://www.greenbaynewschron.com/page.html?article=109204
Wednesday, August 14, 2001
WASHINGTON -The silence from the
Wisconsin delegation on President Bush's stem-cell decision was deafening.
Perhaps it was just that members
were in the midst of their August recess, which typically means a brief
vacation followed by intense campaigning, but only two of the 11-member
delegation even released a statement.
Both statements were written by Democrats
critical of the move made by Bush, which allows federal funding for stem-cell
research on existing stem cell lines.
Shortly after Bush's speech, Rep.
Tom Barrett, D-Milwaukee, who is also running for governor, said there
was a solid chance legislation supporting full federal funding would move
through Congress, and that the Senate may be able to override a presidential
veto.
"I am disappointed in the president's
decision to limit the support of stem cell research.," Barrett said in
his statement. "This decision may handicap the promising search for a cure
for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart diseases, diabetes,
multiple sclerosis, spinal chord injury and stroke. By issuing such restrictions,
the president is stifling the potential for discovery and, in effect, imposing
an obstacle to what many scientists believe is the most hopeful research
of our time."
On Friday, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison,
released a three-line statement similar to Barrett's that urged for "medical
science to aggressively pursue this promising research."
By Melanie Fonder
News-Chronicle