Government Funding for Stem Cell Research?

A decision in Congress to pass a bill concerning funding for stem cell research was made without the power to override the pending veto that President Bush will issues. The House of Representatives voted 273-174 on the bill, with 290 being needed to prevail over the veto. Stem cell research has been a topic of debates across the country for a few years now. The same questions arise each year in Congress as well as state governments across the nation. Many representatives feel sure that the issue will yet again be a part of the 2008 election. While Republicans refuse to spend taxpayer’s money on an unethical form of scientific research, most Democrats see the benefit that this breakthrough can provide. Research on stem cells could prove to be vital in the treatment of such incurable diseases as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease, among many others. Republicans are more willing to accept the practice if it is done ethically and is not funded by federal taxes.

Another time in history where we witnessed the government back down from funding scientific research was during the 1970’s. The discovery of DNA led to the rapid increase in research pertaining to genetics. Scientists found a way to multiply DNA strands quickly by putting it in with bacteria. This Recombinant DNA Research proved to be a controversial issue. Twelve bills were submitted to Congress advocating for funding and regulations. Eventually the federal government refused to provide money for the research, insisting that the industries find private backers. Such is the case with today’s stem cell research proposals.