President Obama overturns stem cell policy
President Obama overturns stem cell policy
Mar 9, 2009
By Nicole Navarro
BOISE, IDAHO - The Walsh family said it's been waiting for this day for years. Their daughter, Keri, has Type 1 juvenile diabetes.
"We always felt it was important," said Cara Walsh.
On Monday, President Obama signed an executive order the Walsh family believes could help its daughter. The president's decision lifts limitations put into place by the Bush Administration by allowing researchers to use tax dollars for more embryonic stem cell research.
Many scientists believe the move could help find cures for a variety of diseases, but others believe the government is crossing a moral line. Days-old embryos are destroyed for the stem cells. Opponents said it's the same as abortion, and that major strides have been made using adult stem cells.
"If we're going to put taxpayer dollars to work, we should put it to work in ethically benign research that's been proven to work," said Bryan Fischer of the Idaho Values Alliance. "Not put the taxpayer dollars of hard working Americans to work to destroy human life."
Even with the president's order, it could be more than a year before any of the new federally funded research begins.
Copyright © 2008 Fisher Communications, Inc.
