BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today issued the following statement on Governor Deval Patrick’s legislation which would provide for a major investment in the life science industry in Massachusetts.

“Governor Patrick has stepped forward with a bold, courageous plan that will keep Massachusetts in the lead in life sciences research for the next decade and beyond.  This investment promises new and innovative discoveries. Dr. Craig Mello and his colleagues in Massachusetts are already on the cutting-edge of dozens of life saving technologies. This commitment from the state will empower them to build on those advances and the potential for hundreds of thousands of Americans to one day benefit from their discoveries.

“Governor Patrick’s leadership is refreshing. We must still overcome partisan, ideological gridlock in Washington to force the federal government to accept that ethical stem cell therapy can potentially cure disease and save lives. Americans have been presented with a false choice between honoring human life and promoting the science and research that can save it. We can have both, and we will have both, and Governor Patrick’s investment is a down-payment on proving it’s possible.”

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