More federal funding urged for umbilical cord-blood collection

Published: 2007-03-08

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Lack of federal funding could jeopardize therapeutic advances made in using umbilical cord blood for curing diseases, said Richard Doerflinger, deputy director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities. Doerflinger told Catholic News Service that the bishops supported the 2005 law which authorized funds for collecting and storing cord blood and for the establishment of a National Cord Blood Inventory which would enable doctors to match patients with compatible donors through a centralized computer data bank. Although the 2005 law authorizes $15 million per year from 2007 through 2010, Congress has to approve the funding each year. For fiscal year 2008, which begins in October, the Bush administration budget proposes only $2 million in funding. "We were active in supporting the underlying legislation and we are in favor of full funding," Doerflinger said March 7 after attending a briefing organized by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the main sponsor of the 2005 law. Smith called on his congressional colleagues to approve the $15 million permitted by law.

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