US Politics in Stem Cell Research

Because of Ann Romney’s October 18, 2012 comments regarding stem cell research on The View and researchers as well as doctors saying politics are slowing them down, I checked the US history on the issue. I found that in 1995 Congress banned appropriating funds to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) research. But, the issue burst on the scientific scene in November of 1998 when researchers with private funding reported the isolation of hESCs. In December of 1999 NIH released draft guidelines allowing federally funded research on hESCs derived in the private sector and providing for stringent oversight of such research. On August 25, 2000 NIH released final guidelines with the backing of President Clinton and solicited applications for its first hESC research grants. However, President Bush opposed the research and discouraged many scientists from submitting proposals. Media attention on stem cell research grew and reached the front pages on July 9, 2001 and President Bush sought a compromise; he announced in a primetime address to the nation on August 9, 2001 that he decided to allow federal funding of hESC research to go forward but only on cells already in existence. This is where things stood until President Obama on March 9, 2009 via an executive order required new guidelines by the secretary of Health and Human Services through the NIH; the final guidelines took effect July 7, 2009. However, on August 23, 2010 a US District court issued a preliminary injunction barring NIH from funding hESCs research. On September 9 the DC US Appeals Court granted the government's request to stay the injunction until it could hear oral arguments regarding the injunction. During the period NIH was able to fast-track some grants that had previously been on hold. A 3-judge panel heard oral arguments on September 27 and on the following day ruled that federal funding of hESC research could continue while the appeals process moved forward. On July 27, 2011 the US District court ruled on the underlying case and decided in favor of the Obama policy, dismissing the lawsuit. The judge followed the reasoning of the Appeals Court but said “this court has become a grudging partner in a bout of 'linguistic jujitsu,'” referring to the dissenting opinion of one of the Appeals Court judges. For FY 2011 NIH estimated $358 million of its budget would go toward human non-embryonic stem cell research and $126 million would go toward hESCs research. It’s because of Obama’s action that the previously noted October 2012 transplants for Pelizaeus-Merzbacher was performed and research continues. If Romney were president this would not have occurred; if he’s elected president this type of research will probably be discontinued which should be a true disappointment for many Americans.