Senate Approves Embryonic Stem Cell Bill
Jul 18, 5:04 PM (ET)
By LAURIE KELLMAN

(WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate voted Tuesday after two days of emotional debate to expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and sent the measure to President Bush for a promised veto, the first of his presidency.

The bill passed 63-37, four votes short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override Bush's veto. The president left little doubt he would reject the bill despite late appeals on its behalf from fellow Republicans Nancy Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"The simple answer is he thinks murder's wrong," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.

"The president is not going to get on the slippery slope of taking something living and making it dead for the purposes of scientific research." the rest