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Skriven 2006-07-19 23:34:58 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0607196) for Wed, 2006 Jul 19
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Fact Sheet: President Bush's Stem Cell Research Policy
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 19, 2006

Fact Sheet: President Bush's Stem Cell Research Policy


ÿÿÿÿÿ President Discusses Stem Cell Research Policy

Today, The President Signed A Bill That Draws A Clear Line Against One Of
The Most Egregious Abuses In Biomedical Research And Vetoed A Bill That
Attempts To Overturn His Balanced Stem Cell Research Policy:
  þ The President Signed The "Fetus Farming Prohibition Act," Which
    Prohibits Trafficking In Human Fetuses That Are Created With The Sole
    Intent Of Aborting Them To Harvest Their Parts.
  þ The President Vetoed H.R. 810, Which Would Overturn The Balanced Policy
    On Embryonic Stem Cell Research That The Administration Has Followed
    For The Past Five Years. This bill would also reverse the principle
    that Congress itself has followed for more than a decade, when each
    year it has prohibited Federal funding for research that destroys human
    embryos.
      þ If This Bill Were To Become Law, American Taxpayers Would For The
        First Time In Our History Be Compelled To Fund The Deliberate
        Destruction Of Human Embryos. The President has made it clear to
        Congress he will not allow our Nation to cross this moral line. If
        we are to find the right ways to advance ethical medical research,
        we must also be willing to reject the wrong ways when necessary.
  þ President Bush Is Disappointed Congress Failed To Pass A Bill That
    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 bill was
    unanimously approved by the Senate and received 273 votes in the House
    of Representatives, but it was blocked by a minority in the House using
    procedural maneuvers.
      þ It Makes No Sense To Say You Are In Favor Of Finding Cures For
        Terrible Diseases As Quickly As Possible And Then Block A Bill That
        Would Provide Funding For Promising And Ethical Stem Cell Research.
      þ The President Is Directing The HHS Secretary And NIH Director To
        Use All The Tools At Their Disposal To Aid The Search For Stem Cell
        Techniques That Advance Promising Medical Science In An Ethical And
        Morally Responsible Way.

President Bush Is The First President To Provide Federal Funding For
Embryonic Stem Cell Research

In 2001, President Bush Set Forth A New Policy On Stem Cell Research That
Struck A Balance Between The Needs Of Science And The Demands Of
Conscience. In this new era, our challenge is to harness the power of
science to ease human suffering without sanctioning practices that violate
the dignity of human life.
  þ When The President Took Office, There Was No Federal Funding For Human
    Embryonic Stem Cell Research.
  þ Under The Policy Announced Five Years Ago, This Administration Became
    The First To Make Federal Funds Available For This Research. Federal
    funding was made available for research only on human embryonic stem
    cell lines derived from embryos that had been destroyed before the
    announcement of the President's policy. The Administration has made
    available more than $90 million for research on these lines, allowing
    important research to go forward without using taxpayer funds to
    encourage the further deliberate destruction of human embryos.

Finding New Cures For Disease Does Not Require Destroying Human Embryos

Today, The President Met With Children Who Began Their Lives As Frozen
Embryos Created For In Vitro Fertilization. These children were adopted
while still embryos, and have been blessed with the chance to grow up in a
loving family. They remind us of what is lost when embryos are destroyed in
the name of research, that we all began our lives as a small collection of
cells, and that America must never abandon our fundamental moral principles
in our zeal for new treatments and cures.

Embryonic Stem Cells Come From Human Embryos That Are Destroyed For Their
Cells. Each of these human embryos is a unique human life, with inherent
dignity and matchless value.

With The Right Techniques And Policies, We Can Achieve Scientific Progress
While Living Up To Our Ethical Responsibilities. America was founded on the
principle that we are all created equal, and endowed by our Creator with
the right to life. We can advance the cause of science while upholding this
founding principle.

Since The President Announced His Policy In 2001, Advances In Scientific
Research Have Also Shown The Great Potential Of Stem Cells That Are Derived
Without Harming Human Embryos. The Administration has expanded the funding
of research into stem cells that can be drawn from children, adults, and
the blood in umbilical cords, with no harm to the donor - and these stem
cells are already being used in medical treatments.

Researchers Are Now Also Investigating New Techniques That Could Allow
Doctors And Scientists To Produce Stem Cells Just As Versatile As Those
Derived From Human Embryos Without Requiring The Destruction Of These
Embryos. One technique scientists are exploring would involve
"reprogramming" an adult cell - for example, a skin cell - to function like
an embryonic stem cell.

President Bush's Balanced Approach To Stem Cell Research Has Worked

The President's Policy Has Allowed Science To Explore The Potential Of
Embryonic Stem Cells - And It Has Allowed America To Continue To Lead The
World In This Area. Under the President's policy, 21 human embryonic stem
cell lines are currently available for Federal funding, and are in use.
Each of these lines can be replicated many times. As a result, the National
Institutes of Health have helped make more than 700 shipments to
researchers since 2001.

There Is No Ban On Embryonic Stem Cell Research. To the contrary, even
critics of the President's policy concede that these Federally funded lines
are being used in research every day by scientists across the world.

According To The Most Recent Data, From 1998 To 2004, 85 Percent Of
Publications On Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Involved The Use Of
Lines Approved For Funding By NIH. (Jason Owen-Smith and Jennifer
McCormick, "An International Gap In Human ES Cell Research," Nature
Biotechnology, April 2006)

According To The Most Recent Data, From 1998 To 2004, 46 Percent Of All
Human Embryonic Stem Cell Studies Published Have Been Done In American
Institutions. (Jason Owen-Smith and Jennifer McCormick, "An International
Gap In Human ES Cell Research," Nature Biotechnology, April 2006)

The President Believes We Must Continue To Explore Hopeful Alternatives And
Advance The Cause Of Scientific Research While Staying True To The Ideals
Of A Decent And Humane Society. At a moment when ethical alternatives are
becoming available, we cannot lose the opportunity to conduct research that
would give hope to those suffering from terrible diseases and help move our
Nation beyond the current controversies over embryonic stem cell research.

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