Some of us would have been happy to see the veto pen come out long before the 6th year of his presidency, but leave that be. Well done, Mr. President. At left, the President holds one of numerous children adopted as frozen embryos:
These boys and girls are not spare parts. (Applause.) They remind us of that is lost when embryos are destroyed in the name of research. They remind us that we all begin our lives as a small collection of cells. And they remind us that in our zeal for new treatments and cures, America must never abandon our fundamental morals.
Do read the whole statement, as it's an excellent precis on the state of stem cell research today. I also learned something I didn't know, namely that The Usual Suspects used procedural maneuvers to block funding of a promising new method of stem cell research. I knew about the procedure, but didn't realize Congress had already tried to fund it:
It would have authorized additional federal funding for promising new research that could produce cells with the abilities of embryonic cells, but without the destruction of human embryos. This is an important piece of legislation. This bill was unanimously approved by the Senate; it received 273 votes in the House of Representatives, but was blocked by a minority in the House using procedural maneuvers. I'm disappointed that the House failed to authorize funding for this vital and ethical research.
It makes no sense to say that you're in favor of finding cures for terrible diseases as quickly as possible, and then block a bill that would authorize funding for promising and ethical stem cell research.
Let's close this here:
I felt like crossing this line would be a mistake, and once crossed, we would find it almost impossible to turn back. Crossing the line would needlessly encourage a conflict between science and ethics that can only do damage to both, and to our nation as a whole. If we're to find the right ways to advance ethical medical research, we must also be willing, when necessary, to reject the wrong ways. So today, I'm keeping the promise I made to the American people by returning this bill to Congress with my veto.
UPDATE: I like this post from Capt.'s Quarters on the topic.
The lack of private investment in this procedure tells volumes about its value.
