In news welcomed by countless doctors, patients, and their families, President Barack Obama recently announced action to overturn President Bush’s limits on federal funding for stem cell research and to protect science.

In his announcement, President Obama announced a major revision to expand government funding for embryonic stem-cell research.  The previous administration had banned federal funding for research except for a limited number of cell lines established before August 2001.  This ban is now lifted, allowing federal funding for research on newly produced cell lines.  In lifting the ban, and setting a new course for research, President Obama said that scientific decisions must be "based on facts, not ideology."

I commend President Obama for overturning restrictions on stem cell research and ensuring that politics and ideology will no longer trump science and research.  With this decisive action, millions of Americans and their families have new hope – hope that one day this critical research will benefit those suffering from some of the most devastating diseases and conditions.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator