Congressmen Seek to Undermine Embryonic Stem Cell Ruling by Changing Law

LifeSiteNews.com -- Your Life, family, and Culture Outpost ^ | August 30, 2010 | By Kathleen Gilbert

[topher]

Monday August 30, 2010

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Congressmen Seek to Undermine Embryonic Stem Cell Ruling by Changing Law

Senate aide: codifying Obama order "wouldn't do the trick"

By Kathleen Gilbert

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 30, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Members in both chambers of U.S. Congress are angling to alter federal law in order to undermine a district court judge's temporary injunction that effectively puts a stop to the onset of taxpayer-funded embryonic stem-cell research.

U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled last Monday that Obama's March 2009 Executive Order, which permitted public funds for the research involving the destruction of embryonic human beings, directly conflicted with federal law known as the Dickey-Wicker amendment. The amendment prevents taxpayer monies from funding research in which embryos "are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death."

The Obama administration plans to appeal the decision, which followed a decision in June declaring that pro-life researchers and a Christian adoption group had standing to contest the new funding guidelines in a court of law.

But others are looking for a more direct route: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee aides cited by the National Journal Monday indicated that lawmakers were gearing up to alter the pro-life law cited by the judge "to get at the heart of the problem."  "Simply codifying President Obama's Executive Order wouldn't do the trick," said one aide.

In the House, Democrat Rep. Diana DeGette of Colorado is planning to re-introduce legislation to eliminate the ban on taxpayer funding for embryo-destructive research, according to news reports in Colorado. The Democrat had sponsored the same legislation previously, but it was vetoed by President George W. Bush.

"For most members of Congress, it's not really a political calculation as much as a realization that this research has been pretty halted by this court decision and we need to act quickly to reverse that," said DeGette, a leading pro-abortion voice in Congress.

While DeGette and other Democrats argue that experimentation on cells derived from destroyed embryos is permitted under the law, Lamberth's decision on Monday emphasized that attempting to separate the origin of such cells from research later conducted on them was misguided.

"ESC [embryonic stem-cell] research is clearly research in which an embryo is destroyed," wrote Lamberth. "The process of deriving ESCs from an embryo results in the destruction of the embryo. Thus, ESC research necessarily depends upon the destruction of a human embryo. Despite defendants' attempt to separate the derivation of ESCs from research on ESCs, the two cannot be separated."

Richard Doerflinger, a spokesperson for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, agreed in a New York Times article last week, saying that attempts to make such a distinction were "implausibly narrow."

Meanwhile, a Rasmussen Reports survey found that public opinion has shifted against taxpayer funding for embryonic stem-cell research since Obama signed the Executive Order last year.

Fifty-seven percent of U.S. voters say that embryonic stem-cell research should not involve taxpayer funds, while only 33 percent believe the research should receive public monies. The numbers are nearly flipped from when Obama signed the Order permitting public funds for embryo-destructive research in March 2009: 52 percent favored the move, and 38 percent were opposed.

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/aug/10083005.html

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[topher]

Congress trying to flush more tax dollars down the toilet. We need to stop this cr@p.

[topher]

Adult Stem Cell has proven to be extremely successful.

There has been some recent discussion, and there has not been any positive results from embryonic stem cell research.

Yet, there are at least 70 cures from adult stem cell research and applications of that research.

This is a colossal of tax payer money.

Maybe some TEA Party folks can help!

[Da Coyote]

Hey Congress, while you’re at it:

1) Revoke the law of gravity. It’s really a bummer...and I’ve already tied myself down so as to watch you and the rest of your idiot democrat friends fly off the earth.

2) Make Pi officially equal to 3.0. Much easier to work with.

3) Get a low to force Harvard to admit that they allow SAT scores of below 400 for the law school. They’ve done it already for you know who.

[topher]

I should written:

Embryonic Stem Cell Research is a colossal waste of tax payer money.

[MEGoody]

Certain members of congress are nothing more than disgusting pigs.

[HKMk23]

Members in both chambers of U.S. Congress are angling to alter federal law in order to undermine a district court judge's temporary injunction that effectively puts a stop to the onset of taxpayer-funded embryonic stem-cell research.

<SARC>Oh no! Not a bipartisan effort!</SARC>

Honestly; where DO these media hacks come from? NAME NAMES, you limp fish!!

[ziravan]

What happened to basic Civics lessons in how government works?

First, to the point of the article, embryonic stem cells are turning out to only have a political purpose (for the left) in that they cheapen the culture of life. The advances being made in stem cells are all in adult stem cells and there are some valid and real scientific reasons why that is the case.

But. Congressmen seek to UNDERMINE a Court ruling based on law, by changing the law?

REALLY?!

What a propagandized headline! This headline claims that it undermines the Court’s ability to interpret law if the legislature does it job and creates new law. I would not support any such change in that law. That is immaterial to the headline’s silly hyperbole.

The Court was absolutely correct in its ruling. And. The Legislature is absolutely justified in seeking to change a law, any law.

To suggest that making new law “undermines” the Court puts the Court in a just such a position that is a prime cause of much of our societal problems today.

[topher]

It has to be the Democrats in Senate and House behind this.

But then the article does not say.

Bet that Nancy Pelosi and Reid have their hands on pushing this legislation through.

[topher]

This type of legislation is why people should get out to vote this Fall (November) and bring a new Congress to power that is more in tune with the Constitution and the people.

[ziravan]

Agreed.

I don’t disagree with the article’s flavor.

I just disagree with the hyperbole that it ‘undermines’ the Court for Congress to legislate.

Abortion (the only reason for embryonic stem cells to continue to be an issue) is an issue BECAUSE of this idea that the Court is an equal partner in legislation (and can therefore be ‘undermined’ by in that way).

[Vinnie]

I happened to have CBS on yesterday morning.
He ended the show (whatever the name of the show is) by lamenting the judge stopping stem cell research.

He did not separate embryonic from adult.
Shame!!

[ehvsteve]

Nuance Alert!!! Nuance Alert!!!! Members in both chambers???? I suspect it is written that way so most people will think that it is both
Republicans and Democrats. But it is actually Democrats in the Senate Chamber and Democrats in the House Chamber. Tell the truth but tell it in a confusing way to make people think that everyone is in favor.

[Waco]

Pharmacetical companies, universitys, etc.are doing the research as we talk. They will continue to do so. There’s no need for taxpayer money to be spent on it. Except for the graft that happens with all federal spending.

[topher]

LifeSiteNews.com has added this picture of a CongressCritter since initially publishing the article:

Picture of a Wicked Witch from Colorado

I guess in terms of the Wizard of OZ, that makes her the Wicked Witch of the West, since Colorado is West of Kansas.

But then there are so many to compete with that title (Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, as well as others).

[The above is a picture of CongressCritter Diana DeGette.]