[JURIST] The US Senate Wednesday approved the Stem Cell Enhancement Act of 2007 [S.5 materials] by a margin of 63-34 [roll call], despite a Tuesday warning from President Bush that he would veto the bill [PDF policy statement; JURIST report]. The House of Representatives is expected to adopt the Senate bill, which would subsidize stem cell research [JURIST news archive], in place of its own legislation in the coming weeks. Also on Tuesday, the Senate approved the HOPE Act [S.30 materials], a bill to fund studies on embryos incapable of further development, by a margin of 70-28 [roll call]. Bush had previously announced his support [PDF policy statement] for that measure. AP has more.

In July, Bush vetoed [JURIST report] the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 [PDF text; HR 810 summary], saying he would not provide federal funding for stem cell research because many consider the destruction of embryos to be murder [press briefing].