mr. speaker , i rise today to lend my voice to the stem cell research debate .  as a co-sponsor of h.r. 810 , i hope we can expand our scope and benefit of existing stem cell lines .  h.r. 810 represents another step forward in our battle against diseases and illnesses which we have spent billions of dollars trying to research , treat , and cure .  as the premier medical research nation , we must allow our researchers and doctors to remain at the top of their fields of research both internationally and nationally .  we must support our research institutions as they embark on the ethical , expert and very , very necessary trials .  federal research restricts federal funding of stem cell research to the 78 stem cell lines that existed prior to aug .  9 , 2001 .  mr. speaker , h.r. 810 does not usher us into uncharted waters : we are already engaged in both the federal funding and the federal oversight of this research .  if we see the benefit to permitting research on 78 , then the argument is not embryonic research -- but rather numbers .  i come from a district where we have perhaps the leading medical research institutions .  in my district case western reserve university , the cleveland clinic , and university hospital have embarked on a monumental and groundbreaking project to establish the national center for regenerative medicine .  within the walls of these three institutions lie perhaps some of the most advanced and prolific members of the scientific research community on regenerative medicine .  while this research is basically focused on adult stem cell and umbilical cord research , we must continue to move forward with research in a responsible , compassionate , and humane way .  we must support the efforts of the national institutes of health as we move forward .  i support the movement towards the treatment , research , and cure of diseases and illnesses which the use of stem cells can alleviate .  