19 Mo. Republicans Form Committee That Aims To Protect Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Main Category: Stem Cell Research
Article Date: 06 Jun 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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Nineteen "prominent" Missouri Republicans, including former U.S. Sen. John Danforth, recently launched a campaign committee aimed at protecting human embryonic stem cell research in the state, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. According to the Post-Dispatch, the announcement came days after the Missouri Republican Party adopted a new platform that calls for the research to be banned in the state. The platform calls for "continuing opposition to fetal tissue research" and supports a ban on some forms of the research. In addition, both of the major Republican candidates for governor -- U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof and state Treasurer Sarah Steelman -- oppose embryonic stem cell research.

The campaign committee, called Republicans To Protect Medical Advances, filed organizational papers with the Missouri Ethics Commission last week. The group outlined its aims and concerns in an "open letter" to Republicans, signed by the 19 co-founders. According to the letter, the group "will stand with Missouri's families whenever ethical stem cell research is under attack at the ballot box, in the Legislature and in [the Republican Party] or in any party."

The group was not involved with the state's Republican platform, Danforth and Stephen Brauer, chair of Hunter Engineering and a former ambassador to Belgium who led efforts to form the group, said. A spokesperson from the state Republican Party declined to comment.

According to the Post-Dispatch, it is unclear whether the group will make campaign donations to Republican candidates who support its goals or withhold donations from candidates who are opposed to embryonic stem cell research. Brauer said there are no plans to collect money or direct donations to candidates who support the research. Brauer noted that he supports Hulshof for governor.

Danforth added that some of the 19 co-founders might financially support only candidates who share their view on stem cell research. "I don't think anybody should mistake the degree of feeling on this," Danforth said, adding that many of the co-founders have been "major contributors to Republican candidates."

Other co-founders of the group include William Bush, a partner at a financial firm in Clayton, Miss.; Marilyn Fox, whose family has donated more than $3 million to Republican candidates and groups over the past 10 years; Jack Taylor, founder of Enterprise Rent-A-Car; and Murray Weidenbaum, an economist at Washington University-St. Louis who served in the Nixon and Reagan administrations (Mannies, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 6/3).

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