WASHINGTON — House lawmakers on Thursday voted to overturn the Trump administration’s recent decision to ban federal funding for biomedical research involving human fetal tissue.
Democrats prevailed in a 225-193 vote divided roughly on party lines, slipping the amendment from Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) into a broader 2020 spending package. But the maneuver is largely symbolic. With the Senate controlled by Republicans and the White House steadfast in its opposition to the controversial research practice, President Trump is unlikely to sign into law a spending bill that overturns his administration’s own directive.
The White House announced on June 5 it would no longer allow government scientists to use fetal tissue for biomedical research. The president made the decision at the urging of Vice President Mike Pence and pressure from conservative outside groups, the Washington Post reported, overruling counsel from health secretary Alex Azar and other aides who attempted to highlight the scientific benefits research involving fetal tissue can yield.
The Dems scored a big step in the right direction, that supports research that is utterly essential for the benefit of the human race. Fetal tissue already “harvested” is like organ donation, and ought to be used for the good of man-kind. There is zero merit in just unceremoniously discarding it.