Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican who co-authored the cord blood stem cell bill with Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, praised the legislation, saying it advances the potential for saving lives.
“Cord blood therapies have already been successful in treating those with serious, life-threatening illnesses,” Hatch said in a statement. “Because Congress and the president acted so quickly, more patients will now have access to these life-saving treatments.”
Hatch also is a supporter of the embryonic stem cell bill, which supporters wanted to vote on along with the cord blood bill. But Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says he plans to bring that bill up early next year.
The signature on the cord blood bill is a victory for advocates of expanded research and use of stem cells.
“While today is a good step, the reality is they are ignoring the 800-pound gorilla in the room,” said John Hlinko, founder of StemPAC, a national grass-roots movement for stem cell research.
The Senate on Dec. 16 passed the bill by voice vote. The House passed the bill in May by a vote of 431-1. The bill was stalled while lawmakers argued over a far-reaching plan that would lift restrictions on stem cell research, which Bush has signaled he would veto.
The bill Bush signed will provide $79 million in federal funding to increase the number of cord blood units available for matches. The objective is 150,000 units, which would mean 90 percent of patients needing them would have a match.
Linda Kelley, director of the Cell Therapy Laboratory at the University of Utah and an associate professor of medicine, was excited that the bill was signed into law.
"We are planning on applying for some of that money to establish a public cord bank here," Kelley said. "We've had a lot of people call and ask about the ability to donate cord blood at a public bank. We think with the large number of babies born here, we'd be able to add to the national supply."
Some of the cord blood would be used for research and the rest would be stored for public use, she said. The potential for treating diseases with cord blood is tremendous, she added.
