“Majority of Americans Likely Support Stem Cell Decision”
Mar 16th, 2009 • Posted in: Research Report“52 percent support easing Bush-era restrictions or lifting restrictions entirely,” poll finds
From Gallup:
“A majority of Americans likely support President Barack Obama’s executive order Monday doing away with the rules on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research that were in place under the Bush administration. In a Gallup Poll conducted last month, 38% of Americans said they support easing those restrictions and another 14% said they favor no restrictions at all. About 4 in 10 Americans favor keeping the Bush restrictions or eliminating federal funding altogether.
“President Obama’s executive order overturns George W. Bush’s 2001 decision to restrict government funding to stem cell lines created before Aug. 9, 2001. Bush’s order left scientists to rely on private donations to work with the hundreds of lines created since then….
“Americans’ views on government funding for stem cell research have remained fairly stable since 2004, with the majority consistently supporting fewer restrictions on funding, rather than maintaining or strengthening the current restrictions.
“Views on government funding of embryonic stem cell research are, of course, highly political. While a strong majority of Democrats support fewer or no restrictions (64%), a majority of Republicans support keeping the Bush administration restrictions or not funding the research at all (57%). Notably, relatively few Americans of any political background favor the more extreme positions: no restrictions on government funding or not funding stem cell research at all….”
For the full release from Gallup, Mar. 9, click here.
For more information, see: Related Newsline story, Mar. 9 — Related Newsline story, Mar. 9.
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