Press Releases

Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) released the following statement in response to the Biden administration’s reversal of the Trump-era prohibitions on the use of fetal tissue in biomedical research.

“We applaud the Biden administration and Secretary Xavier Becerra for prioritizing science and reversing the Trump administration’s arbitrary barriers to both extramural and intramural researchers on the use of fetal tissue in scientific research,” said the lawmakers. “This week, we led dozens of our colleagues in requesting this reversal—underscoring the immense value that fetal tissue research adds to advancing scientific and medical knowledge. The use of fetal tissue in scientific research has been crucial for medical advancements in the treatment and study of hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, Zika, HIV, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, and even COVID-19. During a time when our country necessitates recovery that prioritizes science over politics, this is an integral step towards protecting the advancements of our scientific community.”

The full letter Representatives DelBene, Pocan, and Schakowsky sent this week to Secretary Xavier Becerra can be found here.