Hadassah lobbies Senate on stem-cell measure

washington (jta) | Plans for Hadassah activists to meet in Washington last week had been made years in advance, but the timing could not have been more perfect for them.

More than 1,500 women from Hadassah, the leading advocate in the Jewish community for embryonic stem-cell research, took to Capitol Hill this week, just days before the Senate was expected to debate a bill to fund that very research.

The advocates, well versed on the issue and well disciplined to stick to the group's core policy concerns, pressed several senators, including those who have not yet determined how they will vote on the controversial bill.

The legislation, which would extend funding for research on human stem cells from embryos that otherwise would be discarded, passed the House of Representatives in May. President Bush has vowed to veto it.

"We were fortunate the stem-cell vote came up, but we can't say we arranged it that way," said June Walker, Hadassah's national president. "It was just serendipity."

The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act passed the House, 238-194, but the act would need two-thirds support to override a presidential veto. Supporters hope it will garner the 67 votes needed to block the president's veto there. The Senate vote was postponed from last week and it is unclear when it will come up again.