PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)--A Rhode Island congressman who is paralyzed said Monday he supports using human embryos for medical research despite his opposition to abortion.
Rep. James Langevin, paralyzed in an accidental shooting when he was 16, said he believes embryos could unlock the cures for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes -and spinal cord injuries.
The freshman Democrat sent a letter to President Bush about his stand, which he called "one of the most difficult decisions I have ever faced." After six months of study, he said, he determined that his position on abortion would not be compromised.
"More embryos are going to be created than used. Rather than see them discarded, I'd rather see them used for research," he told The Associated Press.
Bush is weighing whether to allow federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
Many abortion opponents say harvesting the stem cells requires the death of an embryo, which they regard as human life.
Langevin said his spinal cord injury, which happened when he was accidentally shot in the back while at a police training session, gives him a special perspective.
"It puts a great burden on the family. It's life altering for everyone," he said. "If there's something we can do to ease that pain and suffering, we should."