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By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 6, 2009; 5:04 PM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/06/AR2009030
602285.html?hpid=topnews
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Excerpts:
President Obama is planning to sign an executive
order on Monday rolling back restrictions on
federal funding of human embryonic stem cell
research, according to sources close to the issue.
Although the exact wording of the order has not
been revealed, the White House plans an 11 a.m.
ceremony to sign the order repealing one of the
most controversial steps taken by his predeces-
sor, fulfilling one of Obama's eagerly anticipated
campaign promises.
The move, long sought by scientists and patient
advocates and opposed by religious groups,
would enable the National Institutes of Health to
consider requests from scientists to study hun-
dreds of lines of cells that have been developed
since the limitations were put in place -- lines that
scientists and patient advocate say hold great
hope for leading to cures for a host of major ail-
ments.
Administration officials would not comment im-
mediately other than to say "there will be a stem
cell-related event on Monday." But an e-mail sent
out today from the White House stated that offi-
cials were planning a ceremony on Monday "on
stem cells and restoring scientific integrity to the
government process. At the event the president
will sign an executive order related to stem cells."
Sources close to the issue, asking not to be named
because they were not authorized to discuss the
plan, said the order would lift the restrictions on
federal funding of human embryonic stem cells.
Because stem cells obtained from very early em-
bryos are believed capable of becoming any tissue
in the body, scientists believe they could lead to
fundamental insights into the underlying causes
of many diseases and repair damage caused by
many ailments, including diabetes, Parkinson's
disease and spinal cord injuries.
...
Because of his long support for such research and
repeated promise to repeal the restrictions, propon-
ents expected Obama to lift the restriction in his
first week in office, when he issued a flurry of exe-
cutive orders ... But Obama did not, raising concern
among advocates that he might be reconsidering his
promise.
...
In anticipation, the NIH has started drafting guidelines
that would address the many ethical issues raised by
the research, using as models templates compiled by
the National Academy of Sciences and the Interna-
tional Society for Stem Cell Research.
Advocates were especially concerned that the delay
could force stem cell scientists to miss an opportun-
ity to apply for some of the new funding the NIH is
receiving as part of the stimulus package.
Despite the executive order, Congress is also likely
to get involved by considering legislation designed
to prevent any future presidents from reinstating
restrictions.
- - - end excerpts - - -
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March 4, 2009
Obama goes 'all in' for science
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126984.000-obama-goes-all-in-for-
science.html- - -Excerpts:NEVER has so much money been pumped into
scienceso quickly and with so much hanging on a successfuloutcome. The
full scope of President Barack Obama'sagenda to revitalise the ailing US
economy has nowbeen revealed, and it is arguably the biggest bet
onscience and technology in history.The Obama administration's latest
attempt to tackle theproblems facing the US is a record $3.6 trillion
budgetrequest for 2010. This has come hard on the heels ofa $787 billion
"stimulus package" designed to give theUS economy a shot in the arm.
Both are packed withfunding for science and technology ventures,
fromhealthcare research to an electricity supergrid.The stimulus alone
hands out more than $20 billion forbasic research and about $50 billion
to support renew-able power and energy efficiency ...The stimulus bill
calls for the funds to be spent in twoyears, though in some areas it may
take longer. In termsof dollars per year, it is arguably the most cash
that hasever been pumped into scientific research.Even the Apollo
programme and the Manhattan project - which cost over $200 billion and
$35 billion at today'svalue - were spread over 11 and five years,
respectively.It seems Obama is delivering on his promise to
restorescience to its rightful place. "He is committed to puttinghis
money where his mouth is - or putting our moneywhere his mouth is," says
Lesley Stone of the lobbygroup Scientists and Engineers for
America....Take healthcare: the stimulus includes $1.1 billion
forresearch into the comparative effectiveness of treatments.This is a
bold move, given the powerful organisationsthat profit from the status
quo, such as big pharma. Itis crucial to Obama's wider plan to save big,
by crack-ing down on ineffective treatments, and to spend big,to extend
healthcare insurance coverage to tens of mil-lions of people who don't
have it.Obama's plans for healthcare exemplify the risks inherentin his
agenda. Delivering the promised efficiency will re-quire a shake-up of a
system that currently rewards doc-tors and hospitals according to the
quantity of the carethey provide, not its quality.The stimulus package
and budget for 2010 also includewindfalls for the main agencies that
fund basic research....Having made such a huge gamble, Obama's
politicalfuture rides on that bet coming in....- - - end excerpts - - -
--
It's amazing what you can do. If...
you put your mind to it.
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