mr. speaker , the issue of human cloning and embryonic stem cell research cuts to the very core of politics .  and today the house will hear passionate arguments , essentially about the nature and value of human life .  now , that debate will be , among other things , controversial , because the proponents of embryo destruction in the name of progress believe it is not the embryo destruction its opponents oppose , but rather progress itself .  but it is not so , and the bill before us now , the stem cell therapeutic and research act proves it .  this bill , which provides for federal funding of research using adult stem cells which have , unlike embryonic stem cells , proven medical benefits in treating more than 60 separate diseases , will pass with the overwhelming support of both sides of this debate .  now , this bill , sponsored by the gentleman from new jersey ( mr. smith )  will , for the first time , provide for taxpayer-funded research on well-developed stem cells from umbilical cords , expand federal funding in bone marrow stem cell research , and provide for the development of a national stem cell therapy database for medical practitioners and researchers .  this is what progress is , mr. speaker , concrete , definable and based on fact , rather than speculation or a false sense of hope .  the best one can say about embryonic stem cell research is that it is a scientific exploration into the potential benefits of killing human beings .  proponents of medical research on destroyed human embryos would justify admittedly unfortunate means with the potential ends of medical breakthroughs down the line .  but the deliberate destruction of unique , living self-integrated human persons is not some incidental tangent of embryonic stem cell research .  it is the essence of the experiment .  kill some in hopes of saving others .  the choice , however well intentioned , is predicated upon a utilitarian view of human life that this bill shows our government need not take .  the smith bill will fund the only kind of stem cell research that has ever proven medically beneficial , while helping to develop new and exciting avenues of inquiry , all without harming a single human embryo .  this bill is progress , mr. speaker , and represents a perfect contrast to speculative and harmful methods of embryonic stem cell research .  this is the right stem cell bill , mr. speaker .  progress , even progress that pushes the envelope of medical knowledge , need not be controversial .  it need not divide us or force people of goodwill to devalue human life .  progress , in fact , is the opposite of such a choice .  and the smith bill unites the public and private sectors , both doctors and patients , and recognizes the inherent dignity and value of every human person .  