mr. speaker , it is important that i give voice to the important issue of stem cell research . 
this is not an issue that anyone takes lightly . 
life is precious in all forms , and it is important to do all that we can to ensure issues surrounding life and quality of life are given the highest priority . 
millions of americans suffer from debilitating diseases like juvenile diabetes , parkinson 's disease , alzheimer 's and a host of other diseases that reduce the quality of life or cause loss of life . 
stem cells derived from embryos have shown tremendous promise in the fight to rid society of many of these diseases . 
in 2003 alone there were 1 , 681 , 339 deaths from diseases that could benefit from this research . 
many couples across america struggling to have children benefit from in vitro fertilization , a process where embryos are created to provide couples with the potential to have children . 
in many cases , couples have left over embryos that would be destroyed . 
this legislation simply provides the opportunity for those embryos to save lives already being lived . 
lives being lived by people like tambrie alden from glens falls , ny . 
tambrie has had juvenile diabetes for 28 years . 
she goes through 10 daily finger sticks a day and has worn an insulin pump for 10 years . 
each day brings a different battle for tambrie ; she must constantly monitor the highs and lows of her condition . 
tambrie has had over 200 laser eye surgeries due to juvenile diabetes , which also continues to attack her organs ability to function properly . 
on sunday , tambrie turns 47 . 
she celebrates every birthday to the fullest , because when she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes , the doctors told her she would not live past 43 . 
tambrie lives on borrowed time and worries about losing her sight and not being able to see her grandchildren grow up . 
she knows that embryonic stem cell research probably wo n't help her , but she prays the promise it holds will ensure that her grandchildren do n't have to suffer as she has . 
that 's why we are here today , to make sure that people like tambrie can live their lives to the fullest . 
this action is limited to promoting responsible research with embryos that would be destroyed otherwise . 
congressional oversight on this ethically sensitive issue is the right balance to ensure that our nation remains diligent in our approach to medical research , while taking important steps to improve the quality of life for those who suffer from debilitating diseases . 
the bill establishes strict standards for use of fertility clinic embryos . 
first , written permission is required of the couple donating the embryo . 
second , there can be no financial compensation , much like organ donation . 
finally , the legislation requires the national institutes of health to establish strict oversight for the scientific community to ensure ethical guidelines are adhered to . 
embryonic stem cell research is a new form of research in the early stages . 
i am fundamentally opposed to cloning embryos or creating embryos for scientific research . 
this legislation does not a ow cloning , it merely ensures that embryos already created and unused serve a higher purpose than being destroyed . 
