mr. speaker , i am proud to stand on the house floor today to speak in favor of the stem cell research enhancement act , legislation which will bring hope to millions of people suffering from disease in this nation . 
i want to thank congresswoman degette and congressman castle for their tireless work in bringing this bill to the house floor for a vote . 
the discovery of embryonic stem cells is a major scientific breakthrough . 
embryonic stem cells have the potential to form any cell type in the human body . 
this could have profound implications for diseases such as alzheimer 's , parkinson 's , various forms of brain and spinal cord disorders , diabetes , and many types of cancer . 
according to the coalition for the advancement of medical research , there are at least 58 diseases which could potentially be cured through stem cell research . 
that is why more than 200 major patient groups , scientists , and medical research groups and 80 nobel laureates support the stem cell research enhancement act . 
they know that this legislation will give us a chance to find cures to diseases affecting 100 million americans . 
i want to make clear that i oppose reproductive cloning , as we all do . 
i have voted against it in the past . 
however , that is vastly different from stem cell research and as an ovarian cancer survivor , i am not going to stand in the way of science . 
permitting peer-reviewed federal funds to be used for this research , combined with public oversight of these activities , is our best assurance that research will be of the highest quality and performed with the greatest dignity and moral responsibility . 
the policy president bush announced in august 2001 has limited access to stem cell lines and has stalled scientific progress . 
as a cancer survivor , i know the desperation these families feel as they wait for a cure . 
this congress must not stand in the way of that progress . 
we have an opportunity to change the lives of millions , and i hope we take it . 
i urge my colleagues to support this legislation . 
