Over 1.5 million people have already been treated by advancements derived from adult stem cell research. These stem cells are readily available and do not come at any ethical cost. On the other hand, embryonic stem cell research has not had the same effectiveness, and it comes at the cost of human embryos. Government agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have the ability to perform life-saving research, and it should be their top priority to ensure that research is both ethical and effective.
Come join Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03) as he discusses the bipartisan bill he introduced, the Patients First Act, which would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the NIH to prioritize life-affirming stem cell research with near-term benefits for human patients and to refrain from creating or destroying human embryos in the process.
Congressman Jim Banks is a native Hoosier who has served his state and country in a variety of roles throughout his career.
Banks was born and raised in Columbia City, where he and his family still reside today. He earned an undergraduate degree from Indiana University and a Master of Business Administration from Grace College. Banks worked in both the commercial construction and real estate industry in Fort Wayne over the past decade and served in the Indiana State Senate from 2010 to 2016. In the State Senate, Banks chaired the Senate Veteran Affairs and the Military Committee and led the charge on many significant pro-growth, pro-family, and pro-veteran reforms.
Congressman Banks serves in the U.S. Navy Reserve as a supply corps officer and took a leave of absence from the Indiana State Senate in 2014 and 2015 to deploy to Afghanistan during Operations Enduring Freedom and Freedom's Sentinel. He received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his military leadership in Afghanistan.
In 2008, Banks was named to Northeast Indiana's "Future 40 Leaders under 40," and in 2011, he was recognized as one of the top rising Republican legislators by Governing Magazine. Ivy Tech Community College awarded Banks the Distinguished Public Official Award in 2013, and he received the American Legion's Distinguished Public Service Award in 2013, 2014 and 2016 for his work on behalf of Hoosier veterans. In 2014, he was invited to speak at the American Conservative Union's CPAC conference in Washington, D.C. as a top conservative under 40 years old.
On January 3, 2017, Banks began representing Indiana's Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Banks currently serves on the House Armed Services; Veterans Affairs; and Science, Space, and Technology Committees.
Jim Banks lives in Columbia City with his wife, Amanda, and their three daughters, Lillian, Elizabeth, and Joann.
