Congress Revisits Stem Cell Issue
As Congress begins a new session, the topic of stem cell research is once again on the agenda. Yet the short session and the issue's contentiousness make new legislation in 2000 unlikely. At an April 25 congressional briefing, scientists gave an update on stem cell research and applications in advance of an April 26 hearing. The briefing also reintroduced the stem cell research guidelines presented last fall by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The hearing, which included testimony from paralyzed movie star Christopher Reeve and former U.S. senator Bob Dole, was held primarily to promote a bill called the "Stem Cell Research Act of 2000," which senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) introduced in January. "[The hearing] was clearly a desire to get the Congress's attention on stem cell research and use the bill as a vehicle for doing ...
