The U.S. Senate has passed a bill which will allocate billions of dollars to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with some of the funds expected to go toward a disturbing form of research whereby tissue from aborted babies is spliced with animal cells to create mixed-species organisms called “chimeras.”

Introduced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), also called the “Endless Frontier Act,” was passed by the Senate in a 68-32 vote June 9.

Supposed to address growing Chinese technological competition by increasing investment in American innovation in science and technology to the tune of $250 billion, the bill had been hotly debated on the Senate floor for weeks, with over 600 amendments being proposed before last week’s vote.