Health

Obama Overturns Stem Cell Funding Ban

by Rachel Nixon | March 9, 2009 at 08:33 am

575 views | 69 Recommendations | 6 comments

President Obama has lifted Bush-era restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

Scientists say stem cell research will lead to medical breakthroughs, but the research has met opposition from many religious groups.

Obama's move overturns an order signed by President Bush in 2001 that barred the National Institutes of Health from funding research on embryonic stem cells beyond using 60 cell lines that existed at that time.

Obama also signed a presidential memorandum establishing greater independence for federal science policies and programs.

"In recent years, when it comes to stem cell research, rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values," Obama said at the White House.

"In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent. As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering. I believe we have been given the capacity and will to pursue this research -- and the humanity and conscience to do so responsibly."

There is speculation that the lifting of these restrictions on stem cell research could also lead Congress to overturn a ban on spending tax dollars to create embryos.

That ban, known as the Dickey-Wicker amendment, has been in place since 1996 and renewed every year by Congress.

But Democrat Congresswoman Diana DeGette told the New York Times newspaper that several anti-abortion colleagues were open to the possibility of reversing the ban if this was necessary to help research.

In another step away from the Bush years, Obama signed a memorandum ordering the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy "to develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision-making."

In a thinly veiled criticism of his predecessor, Obama reiterated a promise to base "public policies on the soundest science" as well as to "appoint scientific advisers based on their credentials and experience, not their politics or ideology."

Obama's action is part of a broader effort to separate science and politics and "restore scientific integrity in governmental decision-making," White House domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes said Sunday.

Further reading - an opinion piece from NowPublic member Esta: Stem cell research and political hypocrisy.

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Mary Richard

at 08:39 on March 9th, 2009

It's a great day for medical research!

zeet

at 10:04 on March 9th, 2009

It's about time! There were never neither scientific nor ethical foundation for a ban. Reason is back in the White House ready to fight against diseases, for the sake of the living.

Paul Conneally

at 15:46 on March 9th, 2009

About time too - real breakthroughs can be made with this technology!

Uwe Paschen

at 20:36 on March 9th, 2009

I am not sure about this, the way the bill is written it does open the doors to a lot of pottencially dangerous research and very unethical as well.

They wont be a miracle cure nor eternal life coming out of this, but rather a lot more thinks then our GMO debate generates and this most forget. All love Obama and there for no one checks the facts behind this.

This is like the Atom bomb in 1944.

JAR (not verified)

at 21:47 on March 9th, 2009

it was more of a case of whether America wants to be part of the stem cell research. Other countries are racing ahead in this field and the work will take place regardless of what people think. It can't be stopped.

China is pumping millions into research and in the near future will be exporting new body parts. Gives a whole new meaning to a "Chinese takeaway!" Their main lucrative market will be transplants in America.

Japan is another country pushing ahead with research because they seem to have a problem with the philosophy of transplants and very few operations take place. Most people needing a transplant go to other countries. They don't seem to have the same philosophical barrier when it comes to body parts grown from stem cells.

The advancement of medicine is always questioned but if it leads to an improvement in the quality of life for those with serious illness, like Parkinson's Disease, then I for one think its the right direction to go.

I don't believe any researcher is thinking about creating the "perfect human being" but rather dealing with some of the major problems some people experience even from birth.

Of course, there are those who will strongly oppose the research, equating it with the work of the Devil, while others believe children born weak, with disabilities or the old shouldn't receive health care.

Others will be concerned about increasing the length of a single life. Will we eventually see people living more than 150-years and still in remarkable good health? Will the resources of the planet be able to support such an increase in life span?

A brave new world lies ahead!

Chuck_Aby (not verified)

at 15:32 on March 11th, 2009

More Obama hype.

There was never a "ban on stem cell research". There have been enormous strides in this area over the last 6 to 7 years. Just because the federal goverernment couldn't apply our tax money to it didn't mean that is ended. We don't NEED the feds to step in to everything and control it.

My wife has Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and has benefitted from stem cell research (in the form of a stem cell transplant) that has been completely legal and NOT funded by taxes. This is common practice. Check out The City of Hope in Duarte, CA if you need proof.