Comments on: This so-called culture of life http://www.zenstrawberry.com/2006/07/21/this-so-called-culture-of-life/ Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:28:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Patrick http://www.zenstrawberry.com/2006/07/21/this-so-called-culture-of-life/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Patrick Tue, 01 Aug 2006 01:48:32 +0000 http://www.zenstrawberry.com/2006/07/21/this-so-called-culture-of-life/#comment-6 I'm not defending the Presiden't veto, but wanted to clear up a misconception: The veto will NOT "prevent the use of frozen embryos for stem cell research." It withholds federal funding of such research, but has in no way outlawed or prevented it. Somehow the notion has taken hold that stem cell research has been outlawed, but that's not the case. From govtrack.us (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=h109-810): "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells ..." From npr.org (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5566216): "The Senate approved three separate bills. The first bans so-called fetal farming, the largely hypothetical growing of embryos specifically for stem cell research. A second encourages stem cell research that doesn't destroy embryos. Both were adopted unanimously. The third bill was more problematic. It ends President Bush's prohibition on federal funding to develop new embryonic stem cell lines. " It's that third bill that the President vetoed. He declined to approve a bill to *expand* funding. I’m not defending the Presiden’t veto, but wanted to clear up a misconception: The veto will NOT “prevent the use of frozen embryos for stem cell research.” It withholds federal funding of such research, but has in no way outlawed or prevented it. Somehow the notion has taken hold that stem cell research has been outlawed, but that’s not the case.

From govtrack.us (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=h109-810):

“Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 – Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells …”

From npr.org (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5566216):

“The Senate approved three separate bills. The first bans so-called fetal farming, the largely hypothetical growing of embryos specifically for stem cell research. A second encourages stem cell research that doesn’t destroy embryos. Both were adopted unanimously.

The third bill was more problematic. It ends President Bush’s prohibition on federal funding to develop new embryonic stem cell lines. ”

It’s that third bill that the President vetoed. He declined to approve a bill to *expand* funding.

]]>