Bush Vows Stem Cell Veto

Posted on May 20, 2005

Although he has never exercised the presidential veto, today President Bush vowed to veto new stem cell legislation that eases current restrictions. The New York Times reports:

"I am a strong supporter of stem cell research, but I've made very clear to Congress that the use of federal taxpayer money to promote science that destroys life in order to save life, I am against this," said Mr. Bush, speaking in the Oval Office during a brief joint appearance with the Danish prime minister, Anders Rasmussen. "Therefore, if the bill does that, I will veto it."
The president also expressed grave concerns about a report that South Korean researchers have perfected a method of cloning human embryos to extract their stem cells that could, theoretically, be used to develop treatments and cures that would be exact genetic matches to patients.
"I'm very concerned about cloning," Mr. Bush said. "I worry about a world in which cloning becomes acceptable."
"The United States is being left farther behind every day, this morning by South Korea," said [Republican Senator Arlen] Specter. He added, "I don't like veto threats and I don't like comments about overriding the veto, but this issue is going to be the focal point of my subcommittee."
The Democratic leader in the Senate, Harry Reid of Nevada, said in a statement: "Embryonic stem cell research provides us the hope of new cures and therapies and we should embrace this research opportunity and not allow radical ideology to stand in the way. President Bush has made the wrong choice, putting politics ahead of safe, responsible science."

South Korea is moving ahead with therapeutic cloning and announced a breakthrough this week. England is also moving ahead on stem cells. But it looks like the United States will be lagging far behind on scientific breakthroughs, as the White House panders to religious extremists and ignores the possibilities of stem cell research to improve the lives of the sick, suffering and injured.