WASHINGTON (BP)–Democrats for Life of America has called the Obama administration’s refusal to consult it on the March 9 executive order revoking a federal funds ban for most embryonic stem cell research “a cooling of our relations.”
Democrats for Life said it had an opportunity to express disagreement with the administration before Obama’s Jan. 23 order rescinding the Mexico City Policy, which barred federal grants to organizations that promote or provide abortions overseas. But the organization said it had no such opportunity on the stem cell order.
“DFLA is against President Obama’s decision, period. To frame this decision as a necessity to cure-finding medical research is not accurate,” Democrats for Life said, citing successful results in ethical research using non-embryonic stem cells. “While we have zero confidence that a call for reversal of the executive order will prevail, we are hopeful that the President will heed our call for common ground solutions in dealing with pro-life Democrats.”
Democrats for Life said it still is hopeful that Obama will support the Pregnant Women’s Support Act (PWSA), which is part of its 95-10 initiative that seeks to reduce abortions by 95 percent in 10 years.
Obama’s stem cell order overturned a policy instituted by President Bush in 2001. Extracting stem cells from an embryo results in the tiny human being’s destruction. Embryonic stem cell research has produced no therapies in human beings, while non-embryonic stem cell trials have provided treatments for 73 ailments, according to Do No Harm, a coalition concerned with ethical research.
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Compiled by Baptist Press Washington bureau chief Tom Strode.
