H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, allows scientific use of embryos which were "created for the purposes of in vitro fertilization ... and in every single case are slated for medical waste." This doesn't prevent Sam Brownback (R-KS) from distorting this on the senate floor and playing the "will someone please think of the children" card.
This is a chart she [Hannah, a seven year old child who was adopted as a frozen embryo] did last year when she was in Washington, talking, when the House was considering legislation, the same legislation, she did this chart, this letter that kids write -- my kids write -- I love them. She said, this is Hannah, snowflake, "We're kids. I love you." And then she draws three pictures down here below. This is her smiling because she got adopted and she's here. Here is another frozen embryo -- these are embryos -- that's sad because he's still sitting in a frozen state and then here's one that as she explains is saying "What, are you going to kill me?" This was her explanation to her mother that just gave this chart to me. I hope people really would think about that. This is not just a clump of tissue. This is not just a group of a few cells. This is not a hair follicle. This is not fingernail. You know, this is Hannah. And if nurtured, grows to be just this beautiful child, and we got a lot of them, of frozen embryos. And I hope people will consider put putting them up for adoption, because there's a lot of people that want to adopt them.
It's worth remembering that only 10% of embryos are adopted and the remaining 90%, if not used for medical research, become medical waste. I agree with Brownback - more embryos should be adopted - but something useful should be done with those that are not.
This is, apparently, what counts among the religious right as rational discourse on scientific matters.
[HT to Think Progress]
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Maybe Brownback should receive a visit from 3,000 undocumented immigrants from Latin America who can explain to him that they, too, were once embryos and, like Hannah, grew into beautiful children. Or perhaps beautiful Hannah could ask him, "If I fall upon hard times and turn to drugs and alcohol, will you call for funding a medical safety net for my rehabilitation?"
The Snowflake private adoption-like program allows discriminates on the basis of at least religion and politics.
"I agree with Brownback - more embryos should be adopted"
IMO, it is always a tactical mistake to agree (at least publicly) with any out-of-context statement/position by people like this. they thrive on sound-bites, one liners, out-of-context quotes, and as here, inane gimmickry. one should, of course, be willing to discuss/debate the overall issue of the ethics and practicalities of SCR with rational opponents. but there are up front questions to be resolved before concluding that rational discussion can proceed, eg:
that's the context for some fundamentalist extremists (I don't know if B is one - he often speaks moderately but then pulls a stunt like the above). no rational person holds such a position, and meaningful discussion on SCR, abortion, contraception, et al, clearly can't proceed with someone who does. and by agreeing explicitly with anything they say that follows from their broader context, you're implicitly accepting that context.
and another question to resolve up front is the one mark raises, viz, do you support the proposition that every child you "save" has the right, guaranteed by the society, to a healthy, safe, educational opportunity-rich, development phase independent of circumstance of birth?
http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/bills.text/109/h810.pdf
The stem cell act requires that "[p]rior to the consideration of embryo donation and through consultation with the individuals seeking fertility treatment, it was determined that the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded."
Donation for research, the decision whether embryo is to be used for research lies with the responsible parties, not the government.
Oh, and start teaching the kid some genetics (X0), its never to early.