mr. speaker , i rise in strong support of the castle-degette amendment . 
i have a friend who is alive today because of stem cell research and injections that he has had . 
he would love to have been here today to tell you about it . 
he is in the bloom of health . 
mr. speaker , a couple of years ago , a very close , longtime personal friend of mine , john mccaffery , was diagnosed with lymphatic leukemia . 
he underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments . 
but he remained critically ill . 
his doctor suggested that he have a stem cell transplant . 
john was fortunate enough that his brother proved to be a match . 
after causing john 's brother to overproduce stem cells , doctors at strong memorial hospital in rochester , removed the excess stem cells and put them in john . 
unlike a painful , complicated bone marrow transplant , john received his stem cell transplant via an iv . 
without advancements over the years in stem cell research , john would not have had the option for a stem cell transplant . 
rather , he would have had to continue with chemotherapy treatment until the cancerous cells eventually took over his body and he died . 
mr. speaker , stem cell research saved john 's life . 
and , i am very happy to report that today , john is once again leading a healthy , productive life . 
the u.s. has the finest research scientists in the world , but we are falling far behind other countries , like south korea and singapore , that are moving forward with embryonic stem cell research . 
adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood will likely lead to treatments for some diseases . 
but this must complement , not substitute , scientific research on embryonic stem cells -- which is much more promising and will yield to advancements in the prevention and treatment of almost every disease american families face . 
the united states must be on the cutting edge of this important research . 
we have a responsibility to promote stem cell research which could lead to treatments and cures for diseases affecting millions of americans . 
without question , the u.s. should set high standards for moral and ethical use of stem cells . 
but how can we do this , if we are not actively involved in the research ? 
mr. speaker , john is one person whose life was saved by stem cells . 
there will be thousands and one day , millions more lives saved if we do the right thing today . 
i urge all my colleagues to support both adult and embryonic stem cell research by supporting the stem cell therapeutic and research act and the stem cell research enhancement act . 
