Bush vetoes stem cell bill
The debate over embryonic stem cell research continued to rage Wednesday as President Bush vetoed a bill that would have expanded federally funded embryonic stem cell research.
The issue has been in the news often since Bush first restricted funding for embryonic stem cell research to current cells where embryos have already been destroyed. This is the second bill Bush has vetoed that would have lifted restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. The first veto came when the Republicans introduced a similar measure last year.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives would need a two thirds vote in order to override the veto and make the bill law although Democrats were skeptical and said they did not think they would get enough support. This most recent veto will also most likely push the issue into the 2008 presidential campaigns.
Embryonic stem cell research is constantly a source of debate. The stem cells are of interest to scientists because they have the potential to give rise to any type of cell or tissue and possibly treat diseases.Critics claim it is morally wrong to destoy human embryos to derive stem cells. Advocates point out that the embryos used are left over from fertility treatments and are destined to be destroyed anyway.
Bush pointed out that scientists reported in tests with mice that progress had been made in research considering other ways of deriving stem cells. Scientists cautioned that this was not guaranteed and urged passage of the bill.
The coverage of the recently vetoed bill was covered by both the New York Times and Reuters. The New York Times gave more background for the debate that has raged over stem cell research so the reader is more informed about previous events and what led up to this most recent veto. The New York Times story also gives the responses of possible presidential candidates so the reader knows where some of them stand on the issue.
Reuters gave more direct quotations in the story, so the reader knew what each side was saying about the issue but it lacked in amount of background material.