On March 9th, the Chicago Tribune reported: President Barack Obama made his most forceful break yet from his predecessor’s [George W. Bush] controversial scientific agenda on Monday, opening the door to a major expansion of government-funded research on embryonic stem cells and ordering federal agencies to strengthen the role of science in their decision-making.
Bush’s limitations on federal funding for embryonic stem cell experiments had become a touchstone for the anger among many scientists, as well as among advocates for patients who hope such research can lead to cures for a wide range of diseases.
Obama, speaking to an audience of scientists and patients in the East Room of the White House, acknowledged that many people “strongly oppose” the research, which destroys human embryos, but that his choice was to “vigorously support scientists” in the field.
Congressional Republicans and anti-abortion groups disputed the merits of embryonic stem cell research, saying recent breakthroughs on developing similar cells through alternative methods render it unnecessary.
“Today’s action is about forcing taxpayers to fund ethically troublesome — and unproven — research that destroys life,” Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House Republican whip, said in a statement.
From the blog of Nevada Right to Life we read: Douglas Johnson of National Right to Life Committee sounded an additional alarm today. “It is a sad day when the federal government will fund research that exploits living members of the human species as raw material for research,” said Johnson. “Obama’s order also places our society on a very steep, very slippery slope. Many researchers will not be satisfied to use only so-called surplus embryos. Many researchers are already demanding federal support for research in which human embryos would be created for the specific purpose of research, through human cloning and other methods, and there was nothing in the President’s remarks today to limit NIH to the use of so-called surplus embryos created in IVF clinics.”
On Tuesday, March 17th, UFI President, Beverly Rice appered on the Canada’s BNN to talk about the recent order signed by President Obama. “We will always choose life over anything else. We do not believe that American tax dollars should be used to take life away,” explained Mrs. Rice.