BUSH USES FIRST-EVER VETO TO KILL STEM CELL BILL

July 19, 2006

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush used his veto for the first time since taking office, blocking a bill that would have expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

"It crosses a moral boundary that our decent society needs to respect, so I vetoed it," Bush said in remarks at the White House, saying that in rejecting the legislation he is "keeping the promise I made to the American people.

"As science brings us ever closer to unlocking the secrets of human biology, it also offers temptations to manipulate human life and violate human dignity," said Bush.

"Our conscience and history as a nation demand that we resist this temptation," Bush said.

The stem cell research endorsed by the Senate on Tuesday would have used embryos -- some consisting of just a handful of cells -- left over from in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures.

The president had long vowed to veto the bill because of his deeply held moral beliefs that destroying human life is wrong -- even in its earliest form, and even in the interest of research that could lead to potentially life-saving medical breakthroughs.

Bush made the announcement at a White House signing ceremony for alternative bioethics legislation known as "The Fetus Farming Prohibition Act," making it a crime to initiate a pregnancy for the sole purpose of obtaining human organs or tissue for research.

Present for the announcement were several families with "snowflake babies" -- children conceived via donated embryos left over from IVF treatments.

The president vetoed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act despite widespread support by the US public and ardent backers in Congress, who on Wednesday urged Bush to reconsider his stance.

Stem cell research advocates say the technique shows promise for the treatment of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and for diabetes.

The bill would have lifted rules set by Bush in 2001 making federal funds available only for research on a small number of embryonic stem cell lines which existed at that time.

Government money is barred from supporting work on new lines derived from human embryos -- a restriction that opponents say hampers overall research.

In London, Martin Rees, the president of the Royal Society -- Britain's de facto academy of sciences -- said the US policy "is slowing down the global effort to develop therapies for a range of diseases and illnesses."

"If the present restrictions remain, it would surely mean that the United States will continue to fall behind in this important and exciting area," said Rees.

The Senate approved the measure by a 63-37 vote -- a margin too small to override a presidential veto. Nevertheless, 41 Senate Democrats sent a letter to Majority Leader Bill Frist, urging him to lobby support among congressional Republicans to overturn Bush's veto.

"We are pleased that you supported this important legislation and know that you recognize the enormous potential of this research for discovering new cures and therapies for diseases such as diabetes, Parkinsons disease and spinal cord injuries.

"The only chance for overriding this veto rests with you and the Republican caucuses in the House and the Senate.

"Millions of patients and their families across the nation cannot afford to wait any longer for the enactment of this urgently needed legislation," the Democratic lawmakers wrote.

"We are counting on your leadership to help ensure that this legislation becomes law so that we may finally clear the way for research that could lead to treatments and cures for so many debilitating disease and conditions," Democrats wrote.