[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     STEM CELL THERAPEUTIC AND RESEARCH REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 2010

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 3751, 
the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2010.
  This legislation is identical to H.R. 6081, a bill that I introduced 
with Mr. Young of Florida to reauthorize critical bone marrow and cord 
blood transplant programs that save thousands of lives each year.
  Each year, nearly 40,000 people under the age of 55 are diagnosed 
with fatal bone marrow illnesses, and about 16,000 of those individuals 
can only be treated via blood stem cell transplant.
  These patient's lives depend on finding an acceptable adult stem cell 
donor match--quickly and easily.
  The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2010 
would reauthorize the key programs responsible for helping these 
individuals by recruiting bone marrow, adult stem cell, and cord blood 
donations; matching donors and potential recipients; and linking these 
patients to care.
  S. 3751 includes two main parts to achieve this spectrum of donation, 
connection, and care.
  The first is the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, which 
houses the National Registry, the Office of Patient Advocacy, and the 
Stem Cell Therapeutic Outcomes Database.
  The second is the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI), a program 
that provides grants to public cord blood banks to assist them in 
collecting a diverse population of donated cord blood units. These 
units are then listed on the National Registry, where patients and 
doctors can find them.
  The reauthorization represents legislation that is truly bipartisan 
and bicameral, which is evident in the fact that it passed the Senate 
by unanimous consent on September 28, 2010.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend our Leadership and thank Chairman Waxman, 
Chairman Pallone and their staffs for bringing the reauthorization to 
the floor in time to vote before these programs expire on Thursday, 
September 30, 2010.
  This is meaningful legislation with strong bi-partisan support and a 
proven track record.
  I urge my colleagues to support passage of this important 
legislation.

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