mr. speaker , i rise today in support of h.r. 2520 , as well as the stem cell research enhancement act , as both bills are part of today 's larger debate on stem cell research and the hope being offered with them . 
as samuel smiles said , `` hope is the companion of power and the mother of success ; for who so hopes has within him the gift of miracles. '' that is what today 's debate is about , because at its core , stem cell research is about the idea of hope and miracles , a hope which has become quite personal for me . 
as you know , my husband bob , who worked with all of you for so many years , suffered from a rare bone marrow disorder . 
i saw what this disease did to him . 
i saw his life cut short . 
and it is my hope that by expanding stem cell research , other families will have more than just a hope for a cure for this disease , as well as many , many others . 
but to be effective , hope and optimism need to be based on a possibility . 
this is what we are talking about today , whether or not this country will close the door on hope on the unexplainable , on what is truly a miracle . 
it is clear that by passing this bill and the stem cell research enhancement act we will not be reading articles in next week 's paper that we found the cure for cancer or any other disease , that we hope to be effected . 
but i feel strongly that the effects of federal dollars and involvement in stem cell research will make an unquestionable difference . 
our country has been a leader in so many areas of medicine . 
now is not the time to cede our role to countries like south korea , france or great britain . 
by doing so , we will not only diminish the contributions of americans , but also our ability to shape and impact the ethical debate . 
both bills are an important step in harnessing the power of optimism . 
i hope we will not ignore this opportunity . 
