FRC Disappointed at Appeals Court Decision to Continue Funding Embryo Research

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Apr 29, 2011, 02:47 ET

WASHINGTON, April 29, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Family Research Council expressed disappointment in a 2-1 split decision today by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. that allows the Obama administration to continue federal taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research. The decision vacated a preliminary injunction by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who had said that no federal taxpayer dollars can be used to fund embryonic stem cell research. We still await consideration of the merits of the lawsuit by Judge Lamberth.

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Dr. David Prentice, Family Research Council's Senior Fellow for Life Sciences had the following statement:

"It is disappointing that the Appeals Court has decided to allow federal taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research in violation of federal law. As the dissenting opinion by Justice Henderson noted, the logic for the current decision is a case of 'linguistic jujitsu' rather than straightforward interpretation of the law. Human embryonic stem cell research relies on the destruction of young human embryos as experimental fodder.

"In the meantime, thousands of patients are alive and have improved health after treatments using adult stem cells, including for spinal cord injury, heart damage, blindness, and dozens of other conditions. Federal taxpayer funds should go towards helping patients first, not unethical experiments. We believe that further court decisions will support Congressional protections of young human life and divert federal funds toward lifesaving adult stem cells," concluded Prentice.

SOURCE Family Research Council