By John Jalsevac
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 10, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Besides removing all restrictions on using taxpayer funds for embryo-destructive research yesterday, President Obama also formally rescinded a Bush-era executive order pushing for more research into the most promising and ethical forms of stem cell research.
The executive order signed yesterday by Obama specifically rescinded Executive Order 13435 of June 20, 2007.
Executive Order 13435 pushed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to “conduct and support research” on stem cells that “may result in improved understanding of or treatments for diseases and other adverse health conditions, but are derived without creating a human embryo for research purposes or destroying, discarding, or subjecting to harm a human embryo or fetus.”
The NIH subsequently drew up a plan for implementing the president’s order (See the plan here: https://stemcells.nih.gov/staticresources/policy/eo13435.pdf). That plan admitted that, “Adult stem cells, such as blood-forming stem cells in bone marrow … are currently the only type of stem cell commonly used to treat human diseases.”
Adult stem cell research has so for yielded a host of treatments for a plethora of ailments, while embryonic stem cell research has yet to produce a single practical cure.
The NIH plan promoted further research into sources of stem cells such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are considered to be one of the most promising areas of research.
Conservative bioethicist Wesley Smith today criticized Obama’s decision to rescind the Bush order as putting politics over science.
“I can think of only two reasons for this action,” he said, “for which I saw no advocacy either in the election or during the first weeks of the Administration: First, vindictiveness against all things ‘Bush’ or policies considered by the Left to be ‘pro life;’ and second, a desire to get the public to see unborn human life as a mere corn crop ripe for the harvest.”
He concluded, “So much for taking the politics out of science!”