mr. speaker , as stewards of hard-working americans ' tax dollars , we can not ask our constituents to fund the killing of human embryos .  like the rest of my colleagues joining me today , i am strongly in support of scientific research to save and improve human life .  but to fund federal research on stem cells derived from killing human embryos is unethical and irresponsible .  while stem cell research has never been prohibited in the private sector , president bush permitted the usage of embryonic stem cell lines sufficient for extensive government-funded research nearly 4 years ago .  in these 4 years , government and private research on those stem cells have produced nothing , cured no one ; and there is no indication that that will change .  in the meantime , ethical research not derived from embryos in the public and private sectors has helped cure almost 60 diseases .  the private sector has proven the superiority and promise of cord blood in adult stem cell research by choosing to fund those areas .  let us learn from their example and not squander taxpayer dollars on unethical research .  mr. speaker , we do have the power of the purse , and we can not misuse it by funding the slaughter of human life .  