Technology

The Congress has again respected the will of the American people by sending this potentially life-saving legislation to President George W. Bush. With growing support among the American people, and solid majorities in both the House and Senate, the only one now blocking this from becoming law is our defiantly stubborn President. The public gets it. The Senate gets it. The House gets it. Why doesn't the President?

There is great enthusiasm in the scientific community for the potential of human stem cell research to lead to better treatments or perhaps even a cure for certain diseases. At this time, human stem cell research offers the most immediate hope in the fight against type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and spinal cord injury, where cell repair can be narrowly directed to a defined target.

While some researchers believe stem cell research may one day help people with Alzheimer's disease, they generally feel that such a day is far off in the future. Several issues complicate the applicability of stem cell treatments to Alzheimer’s. For example:

• Alzheimer’s disease is highly complex and the related cell damage spreads to large areas of the brain as the disease progresses. The potential of stem cell therapy to correct this widespread destruction is unclear and will require longer-term investigation.

• While newly implanted cells may be able to process and create new memories, they would not have the extensive network of connections built up over a lifetime by older cells nor would they retain previously stored memories.

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As a member of the Florida State Senate for the past ten years and now as a member of Congress, leading efforts to utilize and fund embryonic stem cell research is not just a priority of mine, but a mission. A large part of my passion is driven by people like Adam Susser, a young boy from Boca Raton. Adam was asphyxiated at birth and as a result, is cortically blind with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. My mission is also driven by Matthew Romer, a young boy in South Florida who died from a fatal genetic disease, despite both parents being told they did not carry the gene. The promises of stem cell research mean that children like Adam could be cured and live a more normal life, and children like Matthew who are born with a rare illness could be cured and live.

My initial entry into politics came as a member of a right-to-life organization in my home county of Lenawee, Michigan, and I am proud to say that during my 16 years in the Michigan House of Representatives, I established a 100% pro-life voting record.

I wholeheartedly support stem cell research in all cases except one -- any form of research that requires the eradication of a human life.

The legislation considered by Congress today not only destroys human life and could ultimately lead to human cloning, but also is antiquated. Embryonic stem cell research has seen consistently disappointing and fruitless results, while nearly every month more studies come out showing that ethical adult stem cell research continues to flourish. Read more...

Another day, another vote on legislation that has no chance of becoming law. Everyone understands that S. 5, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, is destined to be vetoed. And today's vote in the House shows, yet again, that proponents of the bill lack the votes needed to override a veto.

But if nothing else, today's debate is at least an opportunity to educate people on the truth about stem cell research. Supporters of embryo-destroying stem cell research would have you believe that embryonic stem cell research is the only way to go. That's just not true. Read more...

The speed of scientific investigation exceeds that of the legislative process. Medical research, especially in the field of regenerative medicine, holds great promise. It's our responsibility to strike an appropriate balance between that which is ethical and the promise that regenerative medicine holds.

Science is providing answers to this ethical dilemma without the help of legislation from this Congress thanks to the hard work of dedicated medical researchers. Read more...

In an effort to further reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and create a more environmentally-friendly fuel, Sen. Thune (R-S.D.) and I last week introduced legislation that encourages farmers to grow energy crops to make cellulosic ethanol. Like my initiative to promote the development of bio-gas, this legislation diversifies the sources our country can use for energy, which helps stabilize our expanding biofuels industry.

Cellulosic ethanol has always faced a chicken-or-the-egg problem: it’s difficult to start commercial production without a guaranteed supply of biomass, but it’s hard to encourage farmers to grow the biomass unless they know they’ll have a market. This legislation will help resolve that problem by encouraging the construction of biofuel facilities while simultaneously pushing the production of biomass.

The legislation, the Biofuels Innovation Program Act of 2007 provides business planning and assistance matching grants of up to $30,000 for entities and communities interested in developing a project area for producers to begin producing dedicated energy and biomass crops, as well as for attracting or creating a cellulosic biofuels facility. Read more...

It’s easy to see that our country is facing an ever-growing energy security crisis. We are overly reliant on imported oil from violent and unstable parts of the world, and we don’t do enough to invest in domestic fuel production. This has resulted in record-breaking gas prices that are placing an undue burden squarely on the backs of every American. Fortunately, there is something we can do now to ensure our energy security.

We can begin to develop major energy sources right here at home utilizing advanced fuel technology to produce new, clean burning products like coal-derived fuels. By taking advantage of coal, our largest domestic energy reserve, we can provide a readily available and flexible fuel source for our country now that can continue to be used in the future.

That is why I recently introduced S. 1443. My bill will improve our nation’s fuel supply by making 21 billion gallons of coal-derived fuel available over the fifteen years. The evidence in support of coal is overwhelming -- there’s no question that coal must continue to be a major part of the solution to achieving energy security. The quicker we capitalize on this large resource and move forward to make coal more clean and efficient, the faster we’ll have an answer to our nation’s energy needs.

In order for us to make the transition from a nation that’s fueled by fossilized fuels to get to that next generation of energy, which is renewables and alternatives, we have to invest in the technology today -- and aggressively invest in the technology. That’s going to make the difference. Otherwise, we’re going to be stuck in the last generation’s technology indefinitely.

Congress needs a better understanding of internet gaming before we make additional decisions about its future. Technology continues to become more sophisticated in its ability to regulate online activity. By calling on the National Academy of Sciences to study the issue, we'll ensure Congress has all of the facts before considering any next steps. Our legislation is not an endorsement, nor is it a condemnation of online gaming. Certain measures must be put in place before it is ever reintroduced on our shores.