On August 9, 2001, President Bush enacted a stem cell policy that has severely limited the ability of researchers to find cures for diseases like Alzheimers, Parkinsons, diabetes and AIDS. While more than 100 million Americans suffer from illnesses that one day could be wiped away with stem-cell therapy, George Bush continues to stand in the way. Bush’s August 2001 stem cell decision is characteristic of his administration’s overall approach to science. He has led one of the most anti-science administrations in our nation’s history by putting his conservative, ideological agenda before crucial research and threatened America’s ability to remain on the critical edge of innovation.
With August 9, 2004 marking the three year anniversary of George Bush’s far-reaching ban on stem cell research, Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry used his radio address to the nation Saturday to assure the American people that he would overturn this ban as president as part of his comprehensive plan to put America back on the path of scientific excellence.
As outlined in the new Kerry-Edwards book “Our Plan for America,” Kerry intended to lead an administration committed to scientific research based on fact, not ideology, and encourage the use of science and innovation to meet the challenges of the future, from job creation to medical breakthroughs to strengthening the American economy. Kerry’s plan begins with lifting the ban on stem cell research. (Kerry and Edwards, 2004)
“At this very moment, some of the most pioneering cures and treatments are right at our fingertips, but because of the stem cell ban, they remain beyond our reach,” Kerry said. “This is not the way we do things in America. Here in America, we don’t sacrifice science for ideology. We are a land of discovery – a place where innovators and optimists are free to dream and explore.”....
