| Letter from the Editor |
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bridges vol. 13, April 2007 / Letter from the Editor by Caroline Adenberger Dear Reader, the election of the 110th Congress of the United States last November marked a switch to a Democratic majority in the Senate and the House after 12 years of Republican dominance. Before the first meeting of the new Congress in January of this year, the "lamest of lame duck sessions" - as it was designated by The Washington Post - took place, with the remainder of the 109th Congress even failing to settle most of the bills for the budget of fiscal year '07. But with the arrival of cherry blossoms awakening the US capital to Spring, it seems that the new Congress is reviving again, too, taking care of leftovers from the previous Congress as well as working on issues like the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 and the Clean Energy Act of 2007. Last week, the US Senate passed a bipartisan measure that eases limits on the federal financing of embryonic stem cell research, setting up another confrontation over the issue with President George W. Bush. The legislation, which passed 63 to 34, attracted nearly unanimous support from Democrats, and also from 17 Republicans. After the Senate vote, Bush repeated his vow to veto the bill. Thus, even if the Senate is able to muster the votes to override a veto, the legislation is unlikely to become law. The House version, which passed earlier this year, fell far short of the tally needed to override Bush's veto. However, this clearly shows that the battle on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research is not over yet, and is very likely to become an issue again in the next presidential elections. Access to the full article is free, but requires you to register. Registration is simple and quick – all we need is your name and a valid e-mail address. We appreciate your interest in bridges. |
