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Patients Rally on Capitol Hill to Urge Passage of Historic Stem Cell Legislation Tuesday in Washington


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Patients Rally on Capitol Hill to Urge Passage of Historic Stem Cell Legislation; Patient groups, universities, and scientific societies unveil letter in support of H.R. 810

The House of Representatives will have an historic opportunity today to vote on legislation to expand the current federal stem cell policy. This is the first bill to be voted on to expand the current policy since it was announced by President Bush on August 9, 2001. H.R. 810, introduced by Representatives Castle (R-DE) and DeGette (D-CO), has broad bipartisan support and would build upon the existing federal guidelines at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to oversee the ethical use of embryonic stem cells while expanding the number of lines eligible for federal funding.

The scientific potential of embryonic stem cell research, to prevent, treat, and cure such debilitating diseases as cancer, juvenile diabetes, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injuries, and countless others compels us as a nation to move this research forward. CAMR, and its over 90 member organizations, agree with leading scientific authorities, as well as a majority of Americans, in supporting the expansion of the current U.S. policy for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

WHO:

Daniel Perry, president of Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR)

Representative Mike Castle (R-DE)

Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO)

Representative James Langevin (D-RI, spinal cord injured at age 16, co-sponsor of H.R. 810)

Beth Westbrook (mother of teenage daughter who died of bone cancer four years ago, lives in Pennsylvania)

Cody Unser (18-year-old young woman paralyzed five years ago as a result of Transverse Myelitis disease, lives in New Mexico)

Svati Narula (13-year-old girl with type 1 diabetes, lives in Maryland)

Jackie Hunt Christensen (mother of two, diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years ago, lives in Minnesota)

WHAT:

Patient groups, universities, and scientific societies press conference urge Members of Congress to pass critical legislation in the House to expand the current federal stem cell research policy.

WHERE:

Terrace of the Cannon House Office Building

1st Street and Independence Avenue, S.E.

Washington, DC

WHEN:

Tuesday, May 24

9:30 a.m.

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The Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), a non-partisan non-profit, is comprised of nationally-recognized patient organizations, universities, scientific societies, foundations, and individuals with life-threatening illnesses and disorders, advocating for the advancement of breakthrough research and technologies in regenerative medicine - including stem cell research and somatic cell nuclear transfer - in order to cure disease and alleviate suffering. For more information on CAMR, visit the website: http://www.camradvocacy.org



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