Fortenberry: President's Embryonic Stem Cell Support is Bailout of Bad Science

Press Release

Fortenberry: President's Embryonic Stem Cell Support is Bailout of Bad Science

Congressman Jeff Fortenberry commented on President Obama's Executive Order, signed today, which lifts restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.

"I suspect this is a bailout for unsuccessful scientific ventures," said Fortenberry. "Unfortunately, this decision revives the ethically divisive issue of the destruction of unborn human life for research purposes. Adult stem cell research is good science that is now helping to save American lives. This is where our limited federal taxpayer dollars should be invested.

"Adult stem cell research, which uses umbilical cord blood, skin, and bone marrow, has yielded at least 73 successful clinical treatments for chronic conditions. However, embryonic stem cell research has shown no clinical success. Embryonic stem cell research poses an unnecessary ethical dilemma for persons of goodwill, while adult stem cell research avoids the destruction of human embryos."

President Obama's Executive Order overturns a 2001 Bush Administration policy that limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research by the National Institutes of Health to the more than 60 embryonic stem cell lines existing at that time.

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