The White House
President George W. Bush
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Increasing Federal Support For Ethical Stem Cell Research
President Bush Has Strengthened America's Commitment To Non-Destructive Research On Pluripotent Stem Cells

President Bush has directed Federal agencies to provide new funding for stem cell research that does not harm human embryos. Recent research has reaffirmed the President's commitment to supporting non-destructive research methods, including:


President Bush will also call tonight on Congress to pass legislation that bans unethical practices such as the buying, selling, patenting, or cloning of human life.

President Bush's Balanced Stem Cell Policies Are Advancing Science Within Ethical Boundaries And Enabling Many To Receive Therapeutic Treatments

In 2001, President Bush announced a balanced approach to stem cell research that would allow Federal funding for research using existing embryonic stem cell lines. This policy allowed the Federal government to support research on dozens of existing stem cell lines without sanctioning or encouraging the destruction of additional human embryos.

President Bush is the first president to provide Federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. Since 2001, the Administration has made a total of more than $170 million available for research on stem cell lines derived from embryos that had already been destroyed. In addition, we have provided nearly $3.7 billion for research on all forms of stem cells, including those from adult and other non-embryonic sources.

The President opposes any attempt to compel for the first time American taxpayers to pay for research that relies on the intentional destruction of human embryos. He believes that by enacting appropriate policy safeguards while encouraging the development of novel scientific techniques, it is possible to advance scientific and medical frontiers without violating moral principles.

The President has acted to strengthen our Nation's commitment to research on pluripotent stem cells, which have the potential to develop into nearly all the cell types and tissues in the body. In June 2007, he signed an Executive Order to expand support for these non-destructive research methods and make it more likely that exciting advances in this area will continue. The Order:

In September 2007, the NIH announced a plan to implement the President's Executive Order. The plan includes a number of new or accelerated activities, including:



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