mr. speaker , i rise today as a cosponsor and strong supporter of h.r. 810 , the stem cell research enhancement act . 
i am pleased that the house leadership brought this important legislation to the floor and am proud to be a part of the important debate occurring today . 
mr. speaker , embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into virtually any cell in the body , and many believe they may have the potential to treat many illnesses such as parkinson 's disease , juvenile diabetes , alzheimer 's , blindness , sickle cell anemia and many other medical conditions , including spinal cord injuries . 
like many other issues facing us today , however , stem cell research forces us to confront the challenge of balancing long-standing ethical questions with the possibilities presented by scientific and technological advancements . 
the remarks made on the floor today by my colleagues have reflected the difficulty in dealing with this issue , as many members wrestle with their beliefs and emotions . 
most familiar with this issue know that in august 2001 , president bush announced that federal funds for the first time would be used to support research on human embryonic stem cells . 
however , the funding would be limited to `` existing stem cell lines. '' the national institutes of health ( nih ) has established the human embryonic stem cell registry , which lists stem cell lines that are eligible for use in federally funded research . 
although 78 cell lines are listed , 22 embryonic stem cell lines are currently available . 
scientists are concerned about the quality , longevity , and availability of the eligible stem cell lines . 
that is why i am a cosponsor of h.r. 810 , and strongly support its passage . 
this important legislation increases the number of lines of stem cells that would be eligible to be used in federally funded research . 
it does so , however , by requiring that the stem cells meet certain requirements . 
specifically , the stem cells must be derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics . 
they also must have been created for the purpose of fertility treatment , but were in excess of the clinical need . 
the embryos must also not have been intended for use in fertility treatment , and would otherwise be discarded . 
finally , under h.r. 810 , the embryos must have been donated by individuals seeking fertility treatment with informed written consent and without any financial payment or other inducement to make the donation . 
mr. speaker , i have listened as member after member has come to the floor to tell a personal tale of a loved one suffering from a disease that , with additional research , stem cells could help cure . 
we all have our stories mr. speaker . 
my uncle , morris k. udall , who served in this body for decades , suffered from parkinson 's disease . 
there are too many people across the world suffering from devastating diseases for which stem cells hold great hope and promise . 
we need to foster additional research that is conducted in an ethically responsible way . 
h.r. 810 does just that . 
i urge my colleagues to support this legislation . 
