On Monday, a California-based biotechnology firm announced the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has accepted four of its stem cell lines for federal research projects—lines all developed from human embryos.
This is the first such announcement since late July, when a federal judge upheld the Obama administration's years-old practice of expanding human embryonic stem cell research (hESR). In 2001, President George W. Bush issued an executive order limiting the amount of federally funded ESCR to the lines that already exist at that time — drawing a clear moral line that additional embryo destruction would not be funded with federal taxpayer dollars.
Obama ordered the NIH to develop new policies that would permit more taxpayer dollars to fund research involving additional lines of cells developed from embryos destroyed from 2001 onward when he abolished Bush's executive order. In July, U.S. Chief District Judge Roy Lambeth opined that the pro-life Dickey-Wicker amendment is ambiguous, so courts must rely on the NIH's interpretation of what is allowed with life-destroying embryonic research.
Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Steven Aden said the research disrespects taxpayers and embryos alike.
"In these tough economic times, it makes no sense for the federal government to use taxpayer money for this illegal and unethical purpose," he said.
Contact: Karla Dial
Source: CitizenLink
