Congressional Quarterly reporter Kate Schuler discusses legislation on embryonic stem cell research, health information technology and medical errors, as well as acting... FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford's nomination to head the agency in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork and CQ." Schuler notes that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) plans to bring to the floor six pieces of legislation addressing various aspects of stem cell research. According to Schuler, legislation with a chance of passing the Senate includes a bill by Sens. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) that would allow federal funding for research on stem cell lines taken from surplus embryos from fertility clinics. Another bill that would promote umbilical cord blood stem cells for use in research also is expected to pass, Schuler says. Schuler also addresses expected action by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to mark up a bill that would expand health IT and the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee's passage of legislation (HR 3205) that would increase patient safety by establishing a medical errors database. Finally, Schuler notes that Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) have agreed to lift their hold on Crawford's nomination, as has Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). Rodham Clinton and Murray objected to Crawford's nomination because they were upset by FDA's delay in deciding whether to approve over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception, while Coburn objected to what he called inaccuracies in the agency's labeling of condoms (Schuler, "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork and CQ," 7/17).

The complete audio version of "Health on the Hill," transcript and resources for further research are available online.

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