On Monday, March 9th, President Barack Obama plans to sign an executive order regarding the federal funding of stem cell research, an administration official said today. Mr. Obama, who has previously stated his opinion on the matter, has not confirmed the details of the order to be signed, but there is speculation in Washington.

The signing is set to accompany a broader initiative on “restoring scientific integrity to government processes,”, an official said. The legislation passed under the Bush administration, known as ‘The Dickey Amendment’, forbade the designation of any federal funding towards stem cell research which either creates or destroys embryonic cells. The amendment countered earlier rulings by the Health and Human Services Department stating that such practices were allowed provided the cells were not themselves from embryos.

In passing the legislation, Bush vetoed Congressional attempts to override it, in response to which then-Senator Obama spoke out.

“The promise that stem cells hold does not come from any particular ideology, it is the judgment of science, and we deserve a President who will put that judgment first and make this promise real for the American people.”

The decision by the Bush administration provoked outrage from members of Congress from all sides of the political divide; some who were against abortion rights believed that stem cells were an important aspect in scientific advancement and should still be pursued, supporting more federal funding for embryonic research.

The Obama administration is currently in the process of overturning several key policy decisions made under Bush’s regime because critics feel that the former President inserted ideologies into the scientific process: climate change, contraception, and stem cell research are amongst the areas being looked at.

This executive order comes exactly one week after recent advancements in the ethical practice of stem cell research.

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