June 20, 2007

Stem Cell Bill Stops At Bush's Desk

President Bush today vetoed a bill that would have eased federal funding restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. It's the third veto of his presidency; the first was for another piece of stem cell legislation in 2006 and the second was for the Iraq spending bill on May 1.

Congress passed the stem cell legislation by fairly large majorities -- 247 to 176 in the House in June; 63 to 34 in the Senate in April -- but the margins aren't close to the two-thirds super-majorities needed to override a presidential veto. (Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has promised to hold an override vote anyway.)

At today's White House press briefing, spokesman Tony Fratto announced that Bush would launch a new initiative that could make federal dollars available for work on "pluripotent" stem cells, which can become any cells except those that result in a fetus.

Bush is issuing an executive order today calling for research on non-embryonic stem cells. The order would call on the Department of Health and Human Services to develop new guidelines for different approaches over three months -- but the mandate doesn't dole out any new funding for research, and it's unclear what tangible results may come from it.

Democratic leaders are emphasizing the unpopularity of Bush's stance, citing polls that show most Americans support stem cell research, embryonic and otherwise.

During a speech at the Take Back America conference today, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., declared, "This is just one example of how the president puts ideology before science, politics before the needs of our families, just one more example of how out of touch with reality he and his party have become."

White House Photo by Eric Draper

Posted at 2:43 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Health, President Bush
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