WASHINGTON (AFP) — President-elect Barack Obama said Friday he wantedlegislation in Congress to permit federal funding on stem cellresearch and overturn a ban imposed by President George W. Bush.
Obama, who favors medical research on stem cells derived from humanembryos, told CNN he was still exploring an executive order to revokeBush's ban.
"But I like the idea of the American people's representativesexpressing their views on an issue like this," he said, lauding a"bipartisan" consensus in Congress that such research is ethical andpotentially life-saving.
If the research could yield hope for victims of degenerative diseasessuch as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, "I think that sends a powerfulmessage," he said.
In blocking federal funding for stem cell research, Bush sided withreligious conservatives who argue that research on embryos destroyshuman life, albeit at its earliest stage of development.
Stem cells are primitive cells from early-stage embryos capable ofdeveloping into almost every tissue of the body.
Scientists believe they could prove key in finding a cure for a numberof serious diseases, including also diabetes and cancer.
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