Statement by John Kerry on Stem Cell Research

"President Bush’s threat to veto potentially life-saving stem cell research marks a sad break with our best values and a refusal to listen to leaders of both parties committed to finding cures for the deadliest diseases. Ideological rigidity in Washington should not be allowed to stand in the way of promising work on spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and diseases affecting millions of Americans. 100 million Americans are suffering today from illnesses that might one day be treated or cured with stem cell therapy, but only if Washington will allow doctors to pursue promising research balanced by strict ethical guidelines.

"From heart transplants to polio vaccines, throughout our history America’s progress has been defined by our sense of limitless possibility and our commitment to use the power of science to improve the lives of all our people. It’s wrong to turn away from stem cell research that offers some of the best hopes for the future.”