Stem cell debate is not over -- Harkin and Specter are making sure of that

What Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) doing is ingenious.  One day after President Bush vetoed a bill that would have opened federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, the two staunch opponents of Bush's closed-door policy fought back.  They introduced a new bill that would likely override a Bush veto.  And yesterday, a Senate panel passed it by a 26 to 3 vote.

They intend to pass the stem cell package by attaching it to a larger budget bill.  Here is the lowdown:

The Senate Appropriations Committee, ona 26-3 vote, approved the $152 billion legislation, which funds federalhealth, labor and education departments.

The stem-cell provision in the bill would allow federally funded research on stem-cell lines created before June 15, 2007.       

President Bush by executive order has limited funding to research on lines created on or before Aug. 9, 2001.       

Sen.Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said the new date would give scientists more than400 new cell lines eligible for federally funded research, comparedwith the 20 now available.

Those new lines available would include embryonic stem cells.