President to veto embryonic stem cell research bill WASHINGTON — Pushing back against the Democratic-led Congress, President Bush intends to veto a bill today that would have eased restraints on federally funded embryonic stem cell research — work that supporters say holds promise for fighting disease. At the same time, Bush will discuss at a White House event his efforts to encourage work that could make additional stem cell lines available for research, presidential spokesman Tony Fratto said Tuesday. The president has accused majority Democrats of recycling an old measure that he already vetoed and argued that the bill would mean American taxpayers would — for the first time — be compelled to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos.
By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Wednesday, June 20, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Vetoing a stem cell bill for the second time, President Bush on Wednesday sought to placate those who disagree with him by signing an executive order urging scientists toward what he termed "ethically responsible" research in the field.
Bush announced no new federal dollars for stem cell research, which supporters say holds the promise of disease cures, and his order would not allow researchers to do anything they couldn't do under existing restrictions.
Announcing his veto to a roomful of supporters, Bush said, "If this legislation became law, it would compel American taxpayers for the first time in our history to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos. I made it clear to Congress and to the American people that I will not allow our nation to cross this moral line."
He vetoed similar embryonic stem cell legislation last July.
His executive order encourages scientists to work with the government to add other kinds of stem cell research to the list of projects eligible for federal funding -- so long as it does not create, harm or destroy human embryos.
Democrats dismissed Bush's veto as a moral affront, and his executive order as a meaningless gesture meant to trick people into thinking he had advanced stem cell research. They said they would hold votes to try to override the veto -- or at least give the issue more air time.
"We also intend to continue bringing this up until we have a pro-stem cell president and a pro-stem cell Congress," said one of the House's chief sponsors, Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.
Senate Democrats were expected to begin the process by trying to attach embryonic stem cell legislation this week to a must-pass appropriations bill for the Labor and Health and Human Services departments. By the 2008 elections, they predicted, Bush's veto of new public funding for embryonic stem cell research would be a top priority of voters in the congressional and presidential elections.
Public opinion polls show strong support for the research.
Republican presidential hopefuls are split on the scope of federal involvement in embryonic stem cell research. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani have broken with Bush -- and the GOP's social conservatives -- in backing the expansion of federal funding for such research. At the Republican debate on May 3, Giuliani said he supported such an expansion with limits, "as long as we're not creating life in order to destroy it, as long as we're not having human cloning."
Rivals Mitt Romney and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas oppose the expansion. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney tried to stop legislation that encouraged expanded embryonic stem cell research. His veto was overturned.
Most of the Democratic candidates have urged Bush to expand the research.
The president is "deferring the hopes of millions of Americans who do not have the time to keep waiting for the cure that may save or extend lives," said Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., said if she is elected president, she will lift restrictions on stem cell research. This is just one example of how the president puts ideology before science, politics before the needs of our families," she said. Scientists were first able to conduct research with embryonic stem cells in 1998, according to the National Institutes of Health. There were no federal funds available for the work until Bush announced on Aug. 9, 2001, that his administration would spend tax money for research on lines of cells that already were in existence.
Currently, states and private organizations are permitted to fund embryonic stem cell research, but federal support is limited to cells that existed as of Aug. 9, 2001. The latest bill was aimed at lifting that restriction.
Bush urged support of legislation sponsored by Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., which passed the Senate but has not yet been taken up by the House. Coleman says his measure supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research methods that do not harm embryos. "It provides for ethically responsible stem cell research sooner rather than later," Coleman said.
Bush said his executive order directs the Health and Human Services Department to promote research into cells that -- like human embryonic stem cells -- also hold the potential of regenerating into different types of cells that might be used to battle disease and make them eligible for federal funding.
The order also renames the NIH's Embryonic Stem Cell Registry the Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry so that it reflects what the stem cells can do, instead of their origin. Pluripotent stem cells are ones that can give rise to any kind of cell in the body except those required to develop a fetus.
"Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical, and it is not the only option before us," said Bush, who appeared on stage with Kaitlyne McNamara of Middletown, Conn., who was born with spina bifida, and is benefiting from what he called "ethical stem cell research."
Sean Tipton, president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, expressed anger and disgust at the veto and Bush's order.
"His executive order directing NIH to continue pursing alternate forms of research is nothing new since NIH has already been conducting this research for the past 20 years," Tipton said.
Thank you, Mr. Bush. Finally, something you can get right.
Perhaps right for us...but not for all! Watch the dem's closely. Hillary already said that she would not veto stem cell research if she were elected. And for all of the people who have ill loved ones, that have been promised a remedy or cure through stem cell research...Hillary will get their votes.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Panel’s bill eases stem cell veto WASHINGTON — Members of Congress who want taxpayer dollars spent on embryonic stem cell research answered President Bush’s veto by advancing a spending bill Thursday that includes permission to do just that. The Senate Appropriations Committee’s 26-3 vote was only the first of several waves of Democratdriven efforts to reverse the effect of Bush’s veto a day earlier. It’s not clear that any part of the plan will succeed in directing more federal funding to the controversial research before the 2008 elections. With the gavels of Congress in their hands for the first time in a dozen years, Democrats can try to make Bush’s veto hurt any candidate who sides with him. “This will be an election issue in 2008 not just in the House, not just in the Senate, but in the presidential election,” said one of the House’s chief sponsors of the bill Bush vetoed, Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo. “We … intend to continue bringing this up until we have a pro-stem cell president and a pro-stem cell Congress.”
The veto is for embryonic stem cell use only there are other forms of stem cell that would not be vetoes. Pres Bush does not want a baby to have to die so that someone can use it's stem cells.
I agree as well....but there are others who view an embryo as nothing more than a bunch of cells. And the cells that they want to use, are 'discarded' ones. Ones that they would 'just throw out' anyways.
So that is their argument! Clearly NOT MINE!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
The veto is for embryonic stem cell use only there are other forms of stem cell that would not be vetoes. Pres Bush does not want a baby to have to die so that someone can use it's stem cells.
What difference is it for a fetus to have to die so someone can use it's stem cells or if a fetus has to die so someone can go to college??
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
HMMMMMMMMM......Good point...gotta think about that one!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Bush stem-cell veto message contradictory When George W. Bush vetoed the stem cell research bill for the second time [June 21 Gazette], he said: “Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical.” Obviously, in his twisted right-tobirth mind, American soldiers and Afghan and Iraqi men, women and children are not human lives. What is really disturbing is that he does not grasp the irony of this statement. Mr. Bush is an embarrassment to the United States, to mankind and to his god. NICK COUPAS West Glenville
Well Mr. Nick Coupas....It is expected that people will die during a war. It should not be expected for a child to be conceived and then killed, for 'whatever' reason. It just doesn't work that way. Mr. Coupas, you are clearly mixing apples and oranges here and are clearly out of touch with morality.
And to think that this mind set actually votes for our future!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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