Democrats push for stem cell vote in US Senate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats sought on Thursday to jump-start a long-awaited debate on legislation to allow federal funding of embryonic stem cell research by considering it while it debates other health measures this month.

The Democrats sent a letter to Majority Leader Bill Frist asking him to add stem cells to what Republicans have dubbed "health week." Frist wants the Senate to consider other health legislation, possibly next week, on medical malpractice and small business insurance.

Despite a veto threat by President George W. Bush, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill last year backing research on excess embryos that would otherwise be discarded by fertility clinics.

The Senate has not taken up the bill, Frist, a Tennessee Republican, broke with other conservatives to embrace it in a surprise move last summer.

"Further delay will mean more lost opportunities for new cures and new treatments," leading Democrats said in a letter to Frist to be made public on Thursday.

The letter to Frist from Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada, stem cell bill co-sponsor Tom Harkin...