Better late…
So it looks like some Democrats are recognizing that they better get their butts in gear after the Sherley v. Sebelius fiasco. According to Talking Points Memo, Congresswoman Diana Degette (D-CO) – whose pro-stem cell advocacy bona fides seem well-established and who co-authored the twice-vetoed (in ’05 and ’07) Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act – is trying to rally her colleagues in the House to pass a bill that would reinforce the standards first established by Obama’s now-overridden executive order. She claims that “she believes legislation could be passed as early as next month,” which sounds just lovely but completely unrealistic given the breed of conservatives that have emerged in this election season. In parallel, TPM also reports that Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) aims to kick off hearings on 16 September.
In the meantime, the administration has made it clear they will appeal, and it seems likely they will ask for a stay of Judge Lamberth’s injunction. ScienceInsider has a nice brief overview of where things stand until then (and for the foreseeable future, should the stay be denied). Time to cross fingers…