Bush Vetos Stem Cell Research Bill H.R. 810 Behind Weak Argument

Written by: Aaron M. Watkins (amwphilos)

President George W. Bush announced yesterday that he was to veto a bill allocating federal funds for stem cell research. This being the third bill passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate that Bush has vetoed, it comes a year after an almost identical bill was considered.
The Senate just barely lacks the two thirds majority to contest Bush's veto, but the House is well under the two thirds majority meaning the veto is not likely to be overridden.

As usual, Bush makes little to no sense when citing his reasons behind the veto. In a message to the House of Representatives, released yesterday (June 19, 2007) on the White House's website, Bush writes, "Under the policy I announced 5 years ago, my Administration became the first to make Federal funds available for this research, but only on embryonic stem cell lines derived from embryos that had already been destroyed."

Under the bills proposal, the embryos that would be used for research would already be in line to be destroyed, and merely using the cells after the embryo had been destroyed does nothing to "preserve human life and dignity" as Bush claims.

Bush argues that stem cell research promotes the destruction of human life (the embryo), ignoring the fact that the embryos that would be used for research are going to be destroyed anyway. It makes the most sense to make further use of embryos destined for destruction, as current research shows that stem cells could be vital in treating a wide range of serious, life threatening ailments.

In fact, stem cell research would allow for the preservation of human life and dignity that Bush claims he is preserving with his veto of the bill. Allowing for the advancement in medial care that stem cell research would certainly lead to, would without a doubt, improve the quality of life for ailing human beings, and ease the minds of those at risk for such ailments that could be treated or cured through stem cell research.

The sensitivity of this subject is understandable, as it tends to foster moral questions, but the benefits of such research would far out weigh any issues with morality. It is indeed with a notion of morality that such research ought to be pursued. Saving lives and improving human existence is a notion of compassion in tune with morality.

Bush's opposition to bill H.R. 810 stems (no pun intended) from his religious beliefs as a Christian, and should not be the measure by which such research is determined to be permissible or not. A separation of church and state should extend into the policies of American government, as the religious beliefs of one man should not determine the permissibility or funding of such research that would affect thousands if not millions of people (many in life or death situations).

As usual, however, Bush is not considering the effect such a bill would have on the people. As usual, he chooses to think only of himself and what HE thinks is right. As he has consistently demonstrated to the people, Bush has absolutely no sense of what is right; so what makes anyone think he is right about this?