September 16, 2010; 8 a.m. ET
Washington, D.C.

CAMR Calls on Congress to Secure Future Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research

A recent poll* conducted by the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), found that two-thirds of Americans (67%) disagreed with the recent federal district court decision to halt federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.  When asked if Congress should do what is in their power to reinstate funding, 68 percent of respondents said, "yes."

CAMR placed a full-page ad in Roll Call today to implore Congress to take action on this important issue and secure the future of funding of this important research.

The following statement may be attributed to CAMR president, Lisa Hughes:

"We applaud the Senate, and especially Senator Tom Harkin, for holding a hearing on embryonic stem cell research so that leading scientists like Sean Morrison and George Daley can inform them on the progress of this important research field.  But, more importantly, the American people want action.  They want Congress to reinstate and secure the future of funding of embryonic stem cell research so that science can move forward.  While we hope to ultimately prevail in the court system, we call on Congress to fix the problem now.  We look forward to working with stem cell research champions in both the House and the Senate on legislation that protects and advances this work so that scientists can continue working on better treatments and cures."

*The poll was conducted for the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research by Opinion Research Corporation, August 27-30, 2010, with a sample size of approximately 1,010 adults.

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The Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR) is the nation's leading pro-cures coalition. It is comprised of nearly 100 nationally recognized patient organizations, universities, scientific societies, and foundations advocating for the advancement of breakthrough research and technologies in regenerative medicine to cure disease and alleviate suffering for individuals with life-threatening illnesses and disorders.