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CNN Live At Daybreak

What's the Next Step for Stem Cell Research?

Aired August 10, 2001 - 08:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: The decision is announced. The debate continues this morning.

President Bush has approved federal funding for stem cell research using human embryos in some case. He is restricting it to cells from embryos that have already been destroyed.

Now, depending on your point of view, this goes too far or not far enough. Or it claims a satisfactory middle ground. That's the challenge, of course.

So what happens next here?

Jonathan Karl is on Capitol Hill for us this morning -- Jonathan.

JONATHAN KARL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Colleen, what happens next is we're almost certain to have a battle on this issue in the Senate coming in the fall. That's because Democrats believe that the president's decision simply didn't go far enough. And some Republicans agree with that. Senator Tom Daschle has predicted there will be action on this fall.

But last night, reaction came on the Republican side. Republicans had been divided on this. Those that had been in favor of some funding for embryonic stem cell research applauded the decision, while those that were against it were somewhat critical.

And here is what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R), UTAH: He has been buffeted on all sides by everybody with an opinion on this matter. And I was really impressed that he took the time to really look at this and do it in a deliberative, intelligent, thoughtful and prayerful manner. And that's what he did. And frankly, I was very pleased to see that he had consulted with ethicists, scientists, religious leaders, and I believe others, friends, before he made this decision. And it's a thoughtful, decent, honorable decision.

SEN. SAM BROWNBACK (R), KANSAS: I would worry about that moral barrier saying that you can use these as property. They are people, and this is a fundamental question we have to wrestle with. Are these people, or are they property? The president clearly said tonight they are people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: Senator Sam Brownback was one of the Senators that had urged the president to ban any form of embryonic stem cell research or funding for such research. That senator, Senator Brownback, will be on CNN later this hour.

Another harsh assessment from a much different perspective came from some Democratic leaders, especially Senator John Kerry, who is one of those senators weighing a possible run for president against Mr. Bush in the year 2004.

Senator Kerry in a statement last night said -- quote -- "Compassionate conservatism could have meant life saving treatments from those suffering from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Instead it appears to be using words of compassion to mask efforts to keep a campaign promise to conservatives."

That campaign promise, of course, was Mr. Bush's promise that he would not allow funding for anything that involved the destroying of human embryos, a promise he appears to have kept with his compromise position passed last night -- that he announced last night.

Now, it's the Senate leader up here, the Democrat Tom Daschle, had a more positive comment about the president's decision. He said he respected the president's decision. He was glad that he would allow some funding to go forward of this kind of research. But Senator Daschle said that he was worried that this would not go far enough. It would impede research, because it was limited to only those existing stem cell lines. Daschle said we will be debating this in the Senate come the fall -- back to you.

MCEDWARDS: Jonathan Karl, thanks very much.

In a poll taken immediately after his speech last night, President Bush got the public support of his decision as well. In the CNN-USA today Gallup survey, 50 percent of those questioned said that they approved, 25 percent disapproved, 25 percent, though, not sure at this point.

The president apparently made his case convincingly in the televised address. Among those who watched, 73 percent approved of Mr. Bush's decision, 20 percent disapproved, 7 percent unsure. Of those who did not watch, 40 percent approved, 28 percent disapproved, 32 percent are not sure.

VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: And now we have some additional reaction. This research would hit home with so many Americans -- those who are sick and relatives of those who could be helped and do need help.

And in Philadelphia, joining us right now is Patty Lance, executive director of the Jeffrey (ph) Lance Foundation for Spinal Cord Injury Research and Support. Her son, Jeff, injured his spinal cord in a surfing accident. And we want to welcome you to the show, Patty.

PATTY LANCE, MOTHER OF SPINAL CORD INJURED: Good morning. Thank you.

CELLINI: Good morning.

What was your reaction initially to the speech by our president?

LANCE: Initially I was pleased to hear that he took some time to carefully think through this, and the amount of people that he spoke to. It was a very difficult issue for him. But I will tell you that I am cautiously optimistic. It is a bare-bone minimum plan. It doesn't provide for broad research. And being that I am the mother of a spinal cord injured, and this is a photograph of Jeffrey (ph). Needless to say, I would like to have more.

CELLINI: Well, I understand. Do you feel like this is at least a start so you can have that kind of optimism? And certainly perhaps through research and some breakthroughs that we will see more. Do you feel that way?

LANCE: It is a start. The door is open. It would be wonderful for Congress to work further on this issue and to allow a broader research plan, so that we are not limited to just the 60 lines of stem cells.

CELLINI: Well, Patty, there are so many people, who are opposed to this type of research. And we want to run a sound bite here from James Dobson from the Focus on the Family. Let's listen to this, and then we're going to get your reaction and talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES DOBSON, FOCUS ON THE FAMILY: Our greatest concern is that it might open the door to further research. You never know they are going to go. And it sometimes is a bait and switch plan, where we think there's a limitation to what is going to be done. And then it grows.

And this is an issue that's going to be like setting fire to a sack -- a paper sack. I mean, you can't control it. It's going to flare up in your face if we don't do it very, very carefully. And it looks to me like the president has done that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CELLINI: Well, Patty, as you hear that, of course, you know, you are looking at a son who has been injured, and you are looking for hope as well. So, you know, yours is a very different perspective, although there are people with fundamental differences.

LANCE: There are differences. What -- let's say the president's council, the forming of that is excellent. That's a good thing. I truly believe that I heard it said that this is like fighting a war today with World War II era weapons. I believe that we need to be assured the greatest amount of genetic diversity. If we had several hundred lines of stem cells, we would probably be assured -- the scientists would be assured that they could really, truly see what stem cells have the ability to do. And that is definitely the direction we need to be going with research is to offer the maximum potential for this type of research.

CELLINI: Do you feel that this administration is taking a better step as to what maybe you had battled previously?

LANCE: The administration is conservative. They are in the middle of the road.

CELLINI: The best case...

LANCE: They could have done more.

CELLINI: ... the best case scenario for you, if you were in charge right now, what would you do?

LANCE: The best case scenario for me would be to allow fertile couples to determine the destiny of the embryos that they are no longer going to be using. If we could have an embryo bank like we have a blood bank, like on my driver's license, it says I am an organ donor, so that they could be determined -- they could determine the destiny of these embryos.

CELLINI: Religion factors -- and I will tell you personally, I am Catholic, but it's difficult for me to look at you and say that, you know what? Whether or not we believe these are lives or pre-life, that we can't (ph) help people like your son. So how do we get past the whole religious aspect of this debate?

LANCE: Well, it's a moral issue. It's a scientific issue. It's a religious issue. I think the door has opened. I think the nation will be able to go forward. I think it is very important for the United States to stay in the race of research. It's a beginning.

CELLINI: Well, Patty Lance, thank you so much.

LANCE: Thank you.

CELLINI: And best of luck with Jeff's foundation. We appreciate your time this morning,

LANCE: Thank you.

CELLINI: OK. Very good.

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