At Last, Scientists Weigh in on Stem Cells

After weeks of contentious debate between politicians who are much better at reading polls than reading research findings, scientists finally took center stage this week in the furious debate over federal funding for stem cell research. On Wednesday, the National Institutes of Health issued a report supporting the continuation of embryonic stem cell research.

The NIH study, given to the White House Tuesday and presented Wednesday at a Senate committee hearing, was commissioned by President Bush, who is currently debating whether to extend federal research dollars to stem cell studies. The NIH researchers did not go so far as to make a recommendation, but it did emphasize the importance of keeping all avenues of inquiry, including studies using both adult and embryonic stem cells, open to scientists.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, the Senate took its swing at the topic, and unfamiliar fault lines divided longtime GOP allies. Noted abortion foe Bill Frist of Tennessee joined Utah’s Orrin Hatch in his support for federal funding, while Sam Brownback of Kansas stepped in line behind Majority Leader Trent Lott, voicing his opposition to earmarking federal funds for the controversial research.

President Bush is expected to make a judgment on the federal funding question sometime in the next two weeks. While the White House has made it clear that the President is "agonizing" over his options, no one seems to know which way Bush is leaning. Politically, this could be his toughest decision yet: He must resolve his campaign pledge to vote against the funding with mounting political pressure within his party — and from the majority of American voters — to give the research a green light. Bush’s staff has not provided much guidance to their boss; they are reportedly deeply divided over his looming decision.

For more from Time on the Stem Cell debate, click here