Call on Christians in Congress to Support the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 3/SB. 5)
CalifSherry has written an extremely important diary at Daily Kos on pending Embryonic Stem Cell Research legislation. I ask each of you to read it and take action.
As my good friends Don Reed and Faye Armitge eloquently explained to me in an E-mail:
WHEN CHRISTIANS CALL CONGRESS: Supporting the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 3, S. 5)
There is a new Congress in town.
On Thursday, January 11th, 2007, under Speaker Nancy Pelosi's leadership, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act will be brought to the floor of Congress once again.
Remember the terrific battle we had to wage last year, just to get the Stem Cell Research Act even considered? When finally muscled to the floor of Congress by Republican Mike Castle and Democrat Diana DeGette, HR 810 proved a superb example of bi-partisan cooperation. It overwhelmingly passed the House and Senate-- only to be vetoed by President Bush.
Now, we are back again, and this time could be different. The same exact bill, now called House Resolution 3, and Senate Bill 5, offers a non-political way to increase the number of federally-funded stem cell lines: all from microscopic blastocysts otherwise thrown away: turning laboratory trash into a treasure of hope for our loved ones.
This time around, we may get a little more help from organized religion.
Throughout history, the Christian Church has been a powerful force for social change; the success of the civil rights movement would have been almost unimaginable without the positive involvement of the Churches of the South, for example.
Too often portrayed as unblinkingly opposed to all scientific advances, even the most conservative religions are made up of the same people whose families visit them in hospital rooms, and push in wheelchairs. They too want health. Change is coming. Across America, and the world, Christianity and Christians are taking a fresh look at the burgeoning new science, and they like what they see. Far from the Frankensteinian nightmares once imagined, stem cell research is cells, cell, nothing but cells--and the hope of cure.
Here are two ways forward-looking Christians can call Congress to support the research which may one day lead to cure for millions of good and decent folks across this planet.
One: if you belong to a church which supports stem cell research, as for instance Episcopalian, LDS (Mormon), Presbyterian, or Methodist, please consider calling the following members of your faith--and urging them to support the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act--because they all voted against it before.
Here is a list of the Episcopalian, LDS (Mormon), Presbyterian, and Methodist members of Congress who voted against HR 810.
I must add here that I think of this as "Faye's List" because most of the work of compiling it was done by stem cell research advocate Faye Armitage, mother of Jason, a paralyzed young man.*.
Leave a message for the Representative of your faith: call after hours, if you like.
You might say, for example: "Like Representative ____, I am a Presbyterian, and our Presbyterian faith supports stem cell research. I hope Representative _____ will vote yes on the Stem Cell Research Act this Thursday, because it is my family's most important issue. Thank you."
If you are a constituent, be sure to mention that, and leave your phone number--they will almost certainly not call you, but the phone number verifies you are a constituent.
Episcopalian:
Jo Bonner, AL, 1-202-225-4931
Ander Crenshaw, FL, 1-202-225-2501
John Mica, FL, 1-202-225-4035
Adam Putnam, FL, 1-202-225-1252
Jack Kingston, GA, 1-202-225-5831
Dennis Rehberg, Montana, 1-202-225-3211
Michael Burgess, TX 1-202-225-7772
LDS:
Jeff Flake, AZ, 1-202-225-2635
Mike Simpson, ID 1-202-225-5531
Chris Cannon, UT 1-202-225-5629
Presbyterian:
Tom Tancredo, CO 1-202-225-7882
Candice Miller, MI 1-202-225-2106
Mike McIntyre, NC 1-202-225-2731
Jimmy Duncan, TN 1-202-225-5435
Mac Thornberry, TX 1-202-225-3706
Frank Wolf, VA 1-202-225-5136
Methodist:
John Linder, GA 1-202-225-4272
Richard Baker, LA 1-202-225-3901
Jim McCrery, LA 1-202-225-2777
Stephen Buyer, IN 1-202-225-5037
Lee Terry, NE 1-202-225--4155
Ed Whitfield, KY 1-202-225--3115
Paul Gillmor, OH 1-202-225--6405
Dave Hobson, OH 1-202-225--4324
John Peterson, PA 1-202-225-5121
Ralph Hall, TX 1-202-225-6673
Secondly, here is a list of the Catholic legislators who voted against the Act, and who could benefit from a call from a member of their faith--remember, statistically American Catholics overwhelmingly support embryonic stem cell research--but all too often legislators only hear from the conservative hierarchy.
I web-searched the phone numbers for the first group, but ran out of time for the second, so am offering an all-purpose number, provided courtesy of my buddy Rayilyn Lee, who says: "Call your congresspeople 1-202-224-3121 and let them know you want them to support ESCR. PD has pretty much destroyed my voice, so this is very very difficult for me. Think how you'd feel if you woke up tomorrow morning and learned there was a cure for PD. Do you think there ever will be if SCR is restricted to adult stem cells??? Ray"
If you are a Catholic, consider calling your state representatives, saying something like:
"I am one of the vast majority of American Catholics who support embryonic stem cell research. I hope Representative ______ will remember me and my family, and vote for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. Thank you."
Call 1-202-224-3121
The following Representatives are of the Catholic faith, and would benefit from phone calls from fellow Catholics in support of embryonic stem cell research.
Arizona
AZ-1 Renzi, Rick
California
CA-3 Lungren, Dan
CA-21 Nunes, Devin
CA-19 Radanovich, George
CA-40 Royce, Ed
Florida
FL-21 Diaz-Balart, Lincoln
FL-25 Diaz-Balart, Mario
Georgia
GA-8 Marshall, Jim
Illinois
IL-3 Lipinski, Dan
IL-18 LaHood, Ray
Iowa
IA-5 King, Steve
Kansas
KS-1 Moran, Jerry
Louisiana
LA-1 Jindal, Bobby
Michigan
MI-1 Stupak, Bart
MI-4 Camp, Dave
MI-5 Kildee, Dale
MI-9 Knollenberg, Joseph
MI-11 McCotter, Thaddeus
Minnesota
MN-8 Oberstar, James
Mississippi
MS-4 Taylor, Gene
Missouri
MO-9 Hulshof, Kenny
Nebraska
NE-1 Fortenberry, Jeff [
New Jersey
NJ-2 LoBiondo, Frank
NJ-4 Smith, Christopher
NJ-7 Ferguson, Michael
New York
NY-3 King, Peter
NY-23 McHugh, John
NY-25 Walsh, James
North Carolina
NC-3 Jones, Walter
NC-5 Foxx, Virginia
NC-10 Mchenry, Patrick
Ohio
OH-1 Chabot, Steven
OH-8 Boehner, John
OH-12 Tiberi, Patrick
Oklahoma
OK-1 Sullivan, John
Pennsylvania
PA-3 English, Philip
PA-17 Holden, Tim
PA-18 Murphy, Tim
Tennessee
TX-8 Brady, Kevin
TX-10 McCaul, Michael
Wisconsin
WI-1 Ryan, Paul
*"Faye Armitage is one of the original founders of Cure Paralysis Now and also sits on the board of the Stem Cell Action Network. Her son Jason (now 17), became paralyzed during a soccer match when he was just 7 years old. The only movement left to Jason was the blinking of his eyes. Faye spent five years traveling with Jason and his four sisters to Cyprus, Poland, Canada and several states in the US to try different therapies, including hyperbaric oxygen, accupucture, muscle biofeedback, constraint induced therapy, FTM, IMT, etc. She came to the realization that none of these treatments would provide more than minor improvements and her hopes shifted to stem cell research. She has spent the past three years as an ardent stem cell activist and has been quoted in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Tampa Tribune, St Petersburg Times, Orlando Sentinel, the Times Union, Folio Magazine and the Wall Street Journal."
- NYGaribaldi's blog
- Login or register to post comments
Thank You For Speaking Up On hESC
Eileen, thank you for speaking up on this vital issue.
The next several days will be crucial. So, we will need as many Christian voices as possible to tell Congress all stem cell research must be federally funded. And if you are given a line about there being plenty of private funding for embryonic stem cell research, remind them that with federal funds comes uniformed federal oversight.
In other words, federal funding greatly reduces the chances of abusing the research.
In solidarity "We have it in our power to begin the world again"
"We have it in our power to begin the world again"-Tom Paine
Tom Paine might disagree, but I imagine the power that will begin the world again is the power that moves people to do good and that is the power from the Holy Spirit.
i wonder if the stem cell issue might be the issue that brings together people of faith with secularists, atheists, humanists, and even 'outcasts' who all seek science and medicine to heal and not just treat symptons.
Eileen Fleming,
Celtic Christian of The Beatitudes, agitator church, state, and limp MSM,
Activist, poet, author creative spiritual literature, historical fiction and my memoirs from OPT
Reporter and Editor of http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Christians and others rise up for STEM CELL Research
The following petition can be sent to your Congressional rep with one click at:
http://ga3.org/campaign/stemcell_dogmaticdozen/idi3uiu2rtebn75?
As you know, stem cell research could benefit millions of Americans currently suffering from an array of diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and diabetes.
A 2006 poll indicates that 72% of Americans support embryonic stem cell research. This majority is further bolstered by an overwhelming coalition of our nation's scientists and a bi-partisan majority in Congress. This past November, Americans only further revealed their commitment to expanding this research, electing pro-stem cell candidates by a wide margin.
Unfortunately, President Bush has vowed to put the religious right, the only major interest group in America that opposes this ground-breaking research, above the lives and health of Americans and veto legislation supporting embryonic stem cell research.
Today we are urging you to oppose his decision and support an override of his impending veto.
The choice is simple: stand for the lives and health of millions of Americans and thousands of your constituents, or support the agenda of a narrow-minded minority.
America and your constituents are watching. We hope you choose life over the religious right.
http://ga3.org/campaign/stemcell_dogmaticdozen/idi3uiu2rtebn75?
FYI:
Dear Eileen,
Last summer, with your help, DefCon ran an aggressive campaign confronting the religious right’s war on embryonic stem cell research. We were close to victory then. And now, with the new Congress, we are even closer to securing stem cell legislation that would provide hope to the millions suffering from diabetes, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's.
The only major interest group that opposes this lifesaving research is the religious right, who convinced President Bush to put their ideology above the lives and health of Americans. As a result, the President exercised the only veto of his presidency – to block potentially lifesaving research.
With the President still in the pocket of the religious right, our focus is on securing enough support in the new Congress to overpower the religious right and override the President’s veto.
We've identified twelve key members of Congress that stand in the way of stem cell research: the Dogmatic Dozen. Sign our petition today urging this Dogmatic Dozen to follow the will of the American people, put our lives and health above the agenda of the religious right, and pledge their support for embryonic stem cell research.
Each of these members represents thousands of constituents who suffer from diseases that could be treated or even cured by this groundbreaking research. Click here to see a full list of the Dogmatic Dozen and the number of their constituents who could benefit from embryonic stem cell research.
Over the last few months, Americans have begun to loosen the grip of the religious right on their lives and on the national agenda. Key supporters of the religious right have been forced out of Congress, more and more Americans are voicing opposition to their radical agenda, and, together, our efforts are gaining traction. Now, with enough votes to defeat the President's veto, we can take a major step toward defeating their effort to place religious ideology ahead of our lives and health.
Please sign our petition to the Dogmatic Dozen who stand between embryonic stem cell research and the American people.
For more information on this crucial fight, head to the DefCon blog.
Sincerely,
Clark, Jessica, and the rest of the DefCon Team
Eileen Fleming,
Celtic Christian of The Beatitudes, agitator church, state, and limp MSM,
Activist, poet, author creative spiritual literature, historical fiction and my memoirs from OPT
Reporter and Editor of http://www.wearewideawake.org/