Roundup: Obama Lifts Ban on Federal Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Obama Lifts Ban on Federal Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, But Not on Creation of Human Embryos

Obama lifted the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research yesterday, but he "intends to avoid the thorniest question in the debate: whether taxpayer dollars should be used to experiment on embryos themselves, two senior administration officials said Sunday," the New York Times reported.  Obama will let Congress decide whether the ban on federal funding for experiment on embryos will also be overturned.  It's complicated:

The ban, known as the Dickey-Wicker amendment, first became law in 1996, and has been renewed by Congress every year since. It specifically bans the use of tax dollars to create human embryos — a practice that is routine in private fertility clinics — or for research in which embryos are destroyed, discarded or knowingly subjected to risk of injury.

At first, the ban stood in the way of taxpayer-financed embryonic stem cell research, because embryos are destroyed when stem cells are extracted from them. But in August 2001, in a careful compromise, President Bush opened the door a tiny crack, by ordering that tax dollars could be used for studies on a small number of lines, or colonies, of stem cells already extracted from embryos — so long as federal researchers did not do the extraction themselves.

Kansas Republicans Keep Mum on Sebelius
Why are Republican Kansans keeping quiet about Gov. Kathleens Sebelius's nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services?  Because getting her out of the state would nmean that she wouldn't challenge Sen. Sam Brownback for his seat in his next election, the Associated Press reports.  "Many of them want the U.S. Senate to confirm Sebelius quickly because her confirmation is all but certain to eliminate any chance that she'll run for Senate in 2010 and to end the most serious threat the GOP faces in holding Sen. Sam Brownback's seat.

Ross Douthat Admits Birth Control Is "All You Have Left"
He said it: "If you start with the premise that neither American abortion law nor American patterns of sexual behavior can be altered in any significant way, and you want fewer abortions nonetheless, then trying different ways to promote the use of birth control "until you find something that works" is really all you have left."  (He disagrees with Saletan that you can moralize about something you are not willing to regulate or criminalize, but that's another less useful story.)

National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers

Katha Pollitt celebrates the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers.

Drawing Lines in the Sand on IVF
Will Saletan takes a look at the "IVF battlefied" and the "new players and what they're after."  He looks at a range of positions on patient's choice, provider's rights, access to health care, and industry regulation.

Other News to Note

March 9: USA Today: Obama keeps science, medical ethicists hopping

March 9: Value Voters Project: Public comment available at HHS concerning the removing of conscience protections for health care workers

March 9: Catholic Exchange: Destroying Human Embryos Not Only Unethical, but Unnecessary: Congressmen

March 9: World Magazine: Q&A with Michael Steele

March 9: GOP12: Readers Respond over Palin abortion bombshell

March 9: The Collegian: Conference tackles health care, birth control

March 9: ABC News: Pharmacist Denies Teen Birth Control Find Out How Customers React When a Pharmacist Refuses to Give a Teen Contraceptives

March 9: Christian Post: Obama published proposal to rescind conscience rule

March 9: Life News: Studies Find Contraception Makes Women Obese and Newborns Too Thin

March 9: PR Newswire: Women's Campaign Forum Announces New President