Wielding the Veto Pen for Good

By Tony Perkins, Family Research Council
July 19, 2006

Today, I was privileged to witness President Bush's first use of his veto power at the White House as he struck down H.R. 810, the bill to fund more embryonic stem cell research. President Bush vetoed this bill because it crosses an important ethical line. This bill would have required U.S. taxpayers to fund research that requires the destruction of human embryos; in fact, it encourages such destruction. Regardless of what one thinks about early human life, surely we should agree that taxpayers shouldn't be forced to fund its destruction.

Stem cell research that is uncontroversial . . . increasingly is providing effective treatment options for patients. Ethical avenues of research, like cord blood stem cells, are being used to treat a variety of diseases including sickle cell anemia and leukemia. I thank the President for keeping his commitment to foster a culture of life.