Congress may move to fund deadly research on human embryos


      President Obama and Stem Cell Research

A federal judge on Monday ordered the Obama Administration to stop paying for scientific research that kills human embryos.

But the fight isn’t over.

The judge ruled that using federal taxpayer dollars for stem cell research that involves the killing of human embryos violates a law passed by Congress in 1996.

That law, known as the Dickey-Wicker Amendment after the two Congressmen who introduced it, says that no federal funds can be used for research in which a human embryo is destroyed or harmed. National Right to Life was deeply involved in the original fight to pass the amendment.

But now the amendment itself is under attack. It’s expected anti-life members of Congress will try to overturn the judge’s ruling by repealing the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, perhaps in September or in a lame-duck session of Congress after the November 2nd elections.

Pro-Lifers will keep fighting with everything we’ve got to protect the Dickey-Wicker Amendment and all pro-life policies that protect human life.  There are many kinds of promising stem cell research that do not involve the killing of a human embryo. Pro-Lifers should strongly oppose the killing of any human being so their stem cells can be removed and used in scientific experiments.

Source: National Right to Life
Date Published: August 26, 2010



The IFRL is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in Illinois. A non-profit organization, that serves as the state coordinating body for local pro-life chapters representing thousands of Illinois citizens working to restore respect for all human life in our society. The IFRL is composed of people of different political persuasions, various faiths and diverse economic, social and ethnic backgrounds. Since 1973 the Illinois Federation for Right to Life has been working to end abortion and restore legal protection to those members of the human family who are threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. Diverse though we are, we hold one common belief - that every human being has an inalienable right to life that is precious and must be protected. IFRL is dedicated to restoring the right to life to the unborn, and protection for the disabled and the elderly.   Click here to learn more about the IFRL.