184 
Monitoring Stem Cell Research 
human embryo stem cell research. Even the most noble ends do not 
justify any means. 
My position on these issues is shaped by deeply held beliefs. 
I'm a strong supporter of science and technology, and believe they 
have the potential for incredible good — to improve lives, to save life, 
to conquer disease. Research offers hope that millions of our loved 
ones may be cured of a disease and rid of their suffering. I have 
friends whose children suffer from juvenile diabetes. Nancy Reagan 
has written me about President Reagan's struggle with Alzheimer's. 
My own family has confronted the tragedy of childhood leukemia. 
And, like all Americans, I have great hope for cures. 
I also believe human life is a sacred gift from our Creator. I 
worry about a culture that devalues life, and believe as your 
President I have an important obligation to foster and encourage 
respect for life in America and throughout the world. And while we're 
all hopeful about the potential of this research, no one can be certain 
that the science will live up to the hope it has generated. 
Eight years ago, scientists believed fetal tissue research 
offered great hope for cures and treatments -- yet, the progress to 
date has not lived up to its initial expectations. Embryonic stem cell 
research offers both great promise and great peril. So I have decided 
we must proceed with great care. 
As a result of private research, more than 60 genetically 
diverse stem cell lines already exist. They were created from 
embryos that have already been destroyed, and they have the ability 
to regenerate themselves indefinitely, creating ongoing opportunities 
for research. I have concluded that we should allow federal funds to 
be used for research on these existing stem cell lines, where the life 
and death decision has already been made. 
Leading scientists tell me research on these 60 lines has 
great promise that could lead to breakthrough therapies and cures. 
This allows us to explore the promise and potential of stem cell 
research without crossing a fundamental moral line, by providing 
taxpayer funding that would sanction or encourage further 
destruction of human embryos that have at least the potential for life. 
I also believe that great scientific progress can be made 
through aggressive federal funding of research on umbilical cord 
placenta, adult and animal stem cells which do not involve the same 
moral dilemma. This year, your government will spend $250 million 
on this important research. 
I will also name a President's council to monitor stem cell 
research, to recommend appropriate guidelines and regulations, and 
to consider all of the medical and ethical ramifications of biomedical 
innovation. This council will consist of leading scientists, doctors, 
PRE-PUBLICATION VERSION 
