"Hagel Statement on Vote Against Using Taxpayer Funds to Destroy Human Embryos"

The following is a press release from Senator Hagel's office issued yesterday.

July 18th, 2006 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) released the following statement today regarding his vote against allowing federal funding to be used for expanded stem cell research:

“Whether to federally fund research on embryonic stem cells is a very complex issue with significant long term consequences. Moral, religious, ethical, scientific and health considerations all come together on the embryonic stem cell research question.

“I do not support using taxpayer dollars for the destruction of human embryos. That is the reason I voted against legislation today to expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. I did vote to support promising research on adult stem cells and on ways to harvest stem cell lines without destroying human embryos. In 2001, I supported the decision President Bush made to allow federally funded stem cell research to proceed only under strict guidelines which will not result in the destruction of any additional human embryos.

“I will support President Bush’s veto of this legislation,” Hagel said.

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