The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an opinion late last week in Sherley v. Sebelius allowing the Obama administration to continue funding destructive embryo research. At issue was President Obama’s March 9, 2009 executive order directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to issue new stem cell guidelines to […]
Embryo research yields no results—or money
USA Today is reporting today that Geron—the company that received the first government approval for human clinical trials using human embryo stem cells—is discontinuing “further stem cell work.” This decision hardly comes as a surprise. There simply is no money in research that yields no results. Geron says that the decision came “after a strategic […]
Embryo-Destructive Research Costing Taxpayers Millions and Destroying Human Life
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Dr. Charmaine Yoest, AUL President & CEO, called the decision by the Department of Justice to appeal an injunction of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research “not surprising, but not the biggest story here.” “Adult stem cell research has yielded incredible, life-giving results for people with many diseases and disabilities, while the stem […]
Court Strikes Down Obama Administration Embryonic Stem Cell Policy
Washington, D.C.—A U.S. District Court today halted the Obama Administration’s illegal and unethical policy of funding research that necessarily entails the destruction of human embryos. Judge Royce Lamberth issued a preliminary injunction against the Administration’s policy in the case Sherley v. Sebelius. “Since 1996, Congress has been clear that no federal funds are to be […]
Court Finds Obama Administration Stem Cell Policy Illegal
AUL’s news release on this decision can be found here. Today, a U.S. District Court halted the Obama Administration’s illegal and unethical policy of funding research that necessarily entails the destruction of human embryos. Judge Royce Lamberth issued a preliminary injunction against the Administration’s policy in the case Sherley v. Sebelius. On March 9 2009, […]
Western Australia Legislature Backing Adult Stem Cells
Science Alert Australia & New Zealand reports that Western Australia’s Upper House has rejected human embryonic stem cell research and human cloning. Dr. Millet, director of Curtin University of Technology’s Centre for Applied Ethics and Philosophy explains why. “The whole debate has changed, and it’s changed dramatically since the Yamanaka discovery because, while both his […]
The Presidential Candidates on Life Issues
I’ve just discovered that our friends at bioethics.com have posted summaries of the candidates’ documented positions on stem cell research, cloning, human embryo research, abortion, and health care. Democrat Hillary Clinton Barack Obama Republican John McCain
Ethical Stem Cell Research Proved Successful and Safe
Dr. Jan Nolta and Dr. Gerard Bauer of University of California, Davis, have just released the results of their 10-year study on adult stem cell research. The breakthrough study shows that using human bone-marrow derived stem cells (i.e., adult stem cells and not embryonic stem cells) can be used safely and successfully to treat and […]
The 2008 Presidential Election
As the 2008 Presidential Election approaches, we find ourselves struggling to determine which presidential candidate will best serve our country and hold fast to the principles and values we hold dear. One factor of increasing importance in this determination is a candidate’s position on abortion and life issues. How important is it for the pro-life […]
Nebraska Joins Handful of States that Prohibit State Funding of Human Cloning
On Tuesday, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman signed into law LB 606, which prohibits the state funding of human cloning for any purpose. Significantly, this bill prohibits the funding of both cloning-to-produce-children, as well as cloning-for-biomedical-research. Unfortunately, many states ban and/or prohibit funding only for cloning-to-produce-children, meaning that researchers can utilize cloning and create embryos without […]
Required Reading: Health Policy Interview
Discover has published an interview with Leon Kass, the former chair of the President’s Council on Bioethics, that is far ranging in its discussion of health policy issues. Touching on ethics, technological innovation, end of life issues, reproduction issues, stem cell research, therapy vs. enhancement, access to healthcare, and civic engagement, the interview is well […]
Schedule for AUL Legal Institute Announced. Save the Dates June 23-26, 2008
AUL Legal Institute — June 23-26, 2008 Preliminary Schedule (subject to change) Registration Coming Soon Monday, June 23 9:00 — 9:15 am Welcome Daniel McConchie, M.A., Vice President & Executive Director, Americans United for Life 9:15 — 10:30 am Abortion: The Ultimate Abuser of Women TBD 10:45 — 12:00 pm RU486 and the Coming Chemical […]
The Embryo Conversation Continues
Over the past couple of weeks a fascinating back-and-forth has been going on between the authors of Embryo: A Defense of Human Life, Robert P. George and Christopher Tollefsen, and Slate.com bioethics reporter William Saletan (see here). The latest entry, by George and Tollefsen was posted today at National Review Online. It’s well worth your […]
Press Release: Advances in Stem Cell Research Lauded; Need to Ban Human Cloning Remains
Chicago, Illinois – November 20: A pair of scientific papers released today report that scientists in the United States and Japan have succeeded in producing powerful stem cells by “direct reprogramming” of skin cells. The stem cells produced by direct reprogramming are believed to have the same power that embryonic stem cells possess, that is, […]
2007 State Legislative Sessions in Review
Just posted at AUL.org, our review of the 2007 state legislative sessions. Table of Contents Introduction Overall Trends andAnalysis Abortion Amendments to General Abortion Statutes Abortion Bans/Constitutional Amendments Abortion Clinic Regulations Clinic Access/FACE Coerced Abortions Crisis Pregnancy Centers Freedom of Choice Act/FOCA Informed Consent/Women’s Right to Know Insurance Coverage Legislative Declarations Parental Involvement Provider Requirements/Limitations […]
