Stardate 20010828.0750 (On Screen): Fearless Leader
announced his compromise on federal funding of stem cell research, permitting research to continue on existing lines but no funding for creation of new ones. He felt comfortable doing this because there were so many already in existence -- more than sixty, he said. Researchers in the field greeted this count with barely concealed incredulity, and Congress asked for a specific list. Yesterday it was released, and it turns out that a large number of them are what we engineers would refer to as "vapor". To reach sixty, they counted everything which even remotely looked like a stem-cell line. Many of them are not actually ready to be used for research; some of them may never be. A couple of the research groups maintaining the cell cultures in question were actually surprised to have been included on the list. Between this and
other issues, President Bush's "final answer" is increasingly looking unfinal. I anticipate Congressional action on this. I expect a majority in both houses to favor funding of creation of new stem cell lines.
(discuss)
