"This is a victory for science that is guided by the strict ethical controls that reflect our nation's values. It is a victory for bipartisanship, as an all-too-rare coalition of conservatives and liberals, pro-life and pro-choice Members found common ground to pass this bill. Most importantly, it is a victory for the 100 million Americans who have or know someone who has a disease like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Type 1 diabetes, cancers or nerve injuries," said Rep. DeGette. "Now, we will continue this fight in the Senate, where stem cell research has the same, extremely strong bipartisan support"

Rep. DeGette began working to expand federal support for stem cell research in 2001, before President Bush imposed strict limitations on stem cell lines eligible for funding. She was joined in this effort in 2004 by Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) who co-sponsored stem cell legislation. The bill was reintroduced in 2005 and garnered 200 cosponsors.

Here's what Diana DeGette said last week about Bush's threatened veto:

“It's disappointing that the President would threaten to use his first veto on a bill that holds promise for cures to diseases that affect millions of Americans. We hope that the President will discuss this issue with us and our Senate allies as the bill makes its way through the legislative process. Support for expanding federal stem cell research in an ethical manner remains strong in Congress. We do not believe that the President’s statement today will impact the vote count on the bill scheduled for the floor next week.”

Both the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News endorsed the bill.