Kerry Invokes Reagan’s Name in Stem-Cell Plea

Sen. John F. Kerry on Saturday called for more federal funding of stem-cell research to spur discoveries that could cure Alzheimer’s and other diseases, underscoring his difference with President Bush on an issue spotlighted by President Reagan’s death.

Citing Reagan’s June 5 death due to complications from Alzheimer’s, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee noted that Nancy Reagan, the late president’s widow, supported increased research on stem cells, which are harvested from human embryos.

“She told the world that Alzheimer’s had taken her own husband to a distant place, and then she stood up to help find a breakthrough that someday will spare other husbands, wives, children and parents from the same kind of heartache,” Kerry said in the weekly Democratic radio address.

The Massachusetts senator’s remarks came after a week during which he and Bush had suspended campaigning as Reagan was honored in ceremonies in California and Washington.

But Saturday, Kerry pointed to Reagan’s illness as he challenged the Bush administration’s policy on stem-cell research at the nation’s universities and medical centers.

Stem cells, which can multiply and become almost any type of tissue when transplanted into the body, hold promise for treating diabetes and curing degenerative neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Bush signed an executive order in 2001 limiting federal research funds to existing stem-cell colonies in response to concerns that the practice would encourage the creation of human life for research purposes.

Nancy Reagan’s public support for expanded stem-cell research has put her on the opposite side of the issue from Bush, and could help build momentum for a shift in federal policy.

On Saturday, Bush’s campaign defended his position.

“President Bush believes we must advance the promise and cause of medical science, including through ethical stem-cell research, yet we must do so in ways that respect human dignity and help build a culture of life,” spokeswoman Alison Harden said. “Under President Bush’s leadership, for the first time, federal dollars are supporting human embryonic stem-cell research consistent with the ethical guidelines he announced in 2001.”

Supporters of the research contend that a shortage of human stem-cell lines is preventing vital medical research. Two weeks ago, a bipartisan group of 58 senators called for a loosening of federal restrictions, noting that there were an estimated 400,000 frozen in vitro “test tube” embryos in the U.S. that could be donated for science.

“Stem cells could replace damaged heart cells or cells destroyed by cancer, offering a new lease on life to those suffering from diseases that once came with a certain death sentence,” Kerry said.

He reiterated his support for lifting the ban on expanded stem-cell research, which he said must be coupled with strict ethical oversight.

“We must lift the barriers that stand in the way of science and push the boundaries of medical exploration so that researchers can find the cures that are there, if only they are allowed to look,” Kerry said.

“The medical discoveries that come from stem cells are crucial next steps in humanity’s uphill climb.”