Stem Cell Research: Statement By Bush Press Sec.

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary

Statement by the Press Secretary

President Bush is very pleased to see the important advances in ethical stem cell research reported in scientific journals today. By avoiding techniques that destroy life, while vigorously supporting alternative approaches, President Bush is encouraging scientific advancement within ethical boundaries.

President Bush was the first president to make federal funds available for human embryonic stem cell research -- and his policy did this in ways that would not encourage the destruction of embryos.

In July 2006, the President highlighted research into the possibility of reprogramming adult skin cells into pluripotent stem cells without intruding on human embryos or eggs.

The President's Executive Order issued in June 2007 was intended to accelerate precisely the kind of research being reported today. One of the studies announced today was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health operating under the President's stem cell policy.

The President believes medical problems can be solved without compromising either the high aims of science or the sanctity of human life. We will continue to encourage scientists to expand the frontiers of stem cell research and continue to advance the understanding of human biology in an ethically responsible way.

ENDS

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