50 Republicans Help Pass Bill to Repeal Restrictions on Federal Funding

Defying President Bush's threat to impose his first veto, a broad swath of House Republicans voted with an overwhelming number of Democrats yesterday to repeal his restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and plunge the government deeper into the controversial science that supporters say could lead to cures for debilitating diseases.

The 238 to 194 vote, unusual because 50 Republicans broke with Bush and top House leaders, followed a highly personalized, occasionally tearful debate in which a parade of lawmakers recounted medical tragedies that had afflicted their families, while opponents contended that the science is built on destroying human lives.

The legislation, which has strong support in the Senate, would make federal money available for research on embryonic stem cells extracted from frozen embryos donated by couples who no longer need them for fertility treatments. It would lift a restriction imposed by Bush nearly four years ago that limits federally funded research to fewer than two dozen embryonic stem cell colonies, or lines.

Bush said last week that he would veto the bill. With the debate under way at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, he underscored his opposition by holding an East Room ceremony surrounded by children whose families had adopted them as embryos. The same families had appeared several hours earlier on Capitol Hill, with parents and children alike sporting stickers that said "Former Embryo."

Reason #1 that I'm posting this: It's good to see so many representatives break from the party line.

Reason #2: Are we not all "Former Embryos?" As an adoptee myself I find it highly offensive that Bush is trotting out adoptees (children no less) to back up his neolithic ideas about stem cells. Last I looked there were no adopted children in the Bush family.

ETA: The following day in The Huffington Post, Paul Feig wrote:

Nice to see President Bush on the front page of the New York Times holding up a baby to show the world how immoral stem cell research is. Does this mean I get to dig up the corpse of my father who died from Parkinsons disease and stand him up in front of the White House to show my support for stem cell research?