Congress Working on Stem Cell Bait and Switch

Several frustrating things are happening with the new Congress. The first is the railroading of bills through the Congress under rules which allow no amendments or debate.

As the appropriations process is underway, the right-to-life movement could lose over 30 years of work to place right-to-life provisions, such as prohibiting taxpayer dollars for abortion, into appropriations bills without a chance to amend from the floor.

Now, National Right to Life warns that a “bait and switch” effort is going on to expand federal funding to include the creation of embryos to be destroyed for research purposes. Included will be a “clone and kill” provision which would allow clones to be created but require that they be destroyed for research purposes. All of this will be “sold” under the pretense of “progress.” The victim at the end is the Dickey-Wicker provision to the Health and Human Services appropriations bill which prohibits such practices.

So much for acting in a bipartisan manner — it is rhetoric without clothes, a sham.

Barbara Lyons