Federal funding for stem cell research has been in debate in Congress since 1995, when the annual appropriation bills put a ban on the use of federal funding for experimentation of human embryos. Nuclear transplantations are creating cloned human embryos not to make a zygote but using it for a source of stem cells, which may have the cures for certain diseases. 1998 was the first time a researcher isolated embryonic stem cells and it took place at the University of Wisconsin. Federal funding for the stem cell research has strongly been lobbied recently because mainly scientist specialize in this field and many believe that cultivating lines or colonies from these cells will lead to a cure for several diseases like juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and even may help paralyzed organs.
Many urged President Bush to agree with former President Clinton's policy on stem cell research and that was; that the Congressional ban on funding embryo research would not be broken if the support was provided for only stem cell research and not for human cloning and no embryos would be destroyed to acquire these stem cells. President bush on the other hand decides to go against the former President's views and set his own standards. On August 9,2001 the President addressed the issue to the people by first explaining that it was about spending tax dollars on research for stem cells taken from human embryos. He further explained that many existed and they were taken from a processes known as vitro fertilization, which is used when couples are trying to have a child and the embryos that are extra are sometimes donated to science for stem cell research. The ones previously created are all privately funded, but scientist believes again that this research will lead to many cures for several diseases. Stem cells can be taken from other sources like; adult cells, from the umbilical cords that are discarded after a mother has a baby and from human placentas.
