Nothing Is Worse Than A Veto
Enlighten NJ, a conservative local issues blog, had an interesting post about the stem cell research issue. The writer made some good points: Democrats in the legislature have not fulfilled their promises to fund embryonic stem cell research, the governor has not pursued the science like he said he would, and, on a national level, the Bush administration has allocated more money for stem cell lines than any other before. However, these facts do not excuse the president's actions.
1. President Bush did not simply fail to fund embryonic stem cell research to the levels that congress hoped for, he vetoed a bill with broad support from congress and the public that would have lifted restrictions on the research.
2. Moreover, Bush did not veto it on fiscal grounds, he vetoed it on bogus "moral grounds," signing the veto surrounded by children that were the products of embryo labs. Even though the bill would only use embryos already slated for destruction by clinics, the president conveniently decided to link the research to the abortion issue.
3. By likening stem cell research to abortion, Bush has made it virtually impossible politically for conservative states to fund stem cell lines, and, in the federal government, he's pressured Republicans and Democrats from conservative districts to oppose the research in fear of being labeled "pro-abortion."
posted by Jack @ 5:54 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
First, you should know we are not opposed to embryonic stem cell research and we are not opposed to the federal government funding the research. Having said that, the bill the President vetoed did not actually call for a specific appropriation for embryonic stem cell research. The bill would have permitted federal funding beyond the currently funded lines. (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109:5:./temp/~c109IO0h7n::)
No doubt in future years money would have been appropriated. How much is unknown. Assuming there are a sufficient number of scientists qualified and ready to conduct the research, perhaps federal funding for embryonic stem cell research would have increased to the $200 million currently spent on somatic (adult and umbilical cord) stem cell research by the federal government.
Given the President’s veto of extending the lines that may be federally funded, it would seem a charity could be set up to collect donations and award research grants. Nothing is standing in anyone’s way of making it happen because as you know embryonic stem cell research is legal. What seems odd to us is that no one seems to take the imitative. Perhaps people would prefer to use the issue for political purposes, as in New Jersey, than to actually do something to make it happen.
Post a Comment
<< Home