Although it would appear that the
issue of embryonic stem cell research funding, which is so closely linked
to the abortion arguments, would divide evenly between party lines and
pro-life/pro-choice beliefs, this is not in fact the case. A majority
of Democrats and pro-choice supporters (65% and 76% respectively) are
in favor of stem cell research funding as would be expected; however,
the groups usually opposed to these liberal organizations are actually
more in agreement with them than disagreement. An ABCNEWS/Beliefnet poll
taken in June of 2001 showed that almost half of those who claimed to
be Republicans were in favor of stem cell research, while almost 40% of
pro-lifers also supported the funding. This is most powerfully evidenced,
politically-speaking, in the division which has occurred on Capitol Hill.
Although three top Republicans in the House of Representatives, Majority
Leader Dick Armey (Texas), Majority Whip Tom DeLay (Texas), and GOP Conference
Chairman J.C. Watts, Jr. (Okla.), make arguments in opposition to stem
cell research based on pro-life beliefs, they are countered by four Republican
senators. Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah), Sen. Strom Thurmond (S.C.), and former
Sen. Connie Mack (Fla.), all argue that stem cell research is not in contradiction
to pro-life, pro-family values; while, Sen. Arlen Spector (PA), chairman
of a Senate subcommittee devoted to the issue, has vowed to do everything
in his power to press Congress to expand the current policy. 
Within
President Bush’s administration this dissention continues, with
Tommy Thompson, the Health and Human Services Secretary who is opposed
to abortion rights, vocally advocating stem cell research, while Karl
Rove, Bush’s chief political advisor and trusted aide, warns of
the likelihood of alienating conservative and swing Catholic voters in
response to presidential approval of the research. . In fact among all
the divisions of religion, ideology, politics, abortion, and race recorded
in the aforementioned ABCNEWS/Beliefnet poll, only with those respondents
who were conservative or those that believed abortion should be illegal,
was the percentage in favor of stem cell research below forty-five percent.
Interestingly, opponents of the funding based their opinions on their
religious beliefs, while supporters were influenced more by education
and information gained from the news.
Considering these statistics it is
no surprise that 56% of Americans approved President Bush’s decisions
to allow limited federal funding for stem cell research. In terms of policy
preferences, the numbers are split relatively evenly between those polled
who would have preferred more funding, those who are opposed to all funding,
and those who agree with the president’s limited funding decision.
Therefore, it seems that Bush’s decision was actually the least
controversial and the most successful proposal possible, in that it managed
to split the spectrum of public opinions on the issue right down the middle.
The issue public, or the people who
are affected by the issue, continues to play a dominant role in this debate.
As an area of science that is promising to provide more cures to deadly
diseases than any medical breakthrough in history, or certainly any one
since the creation of the vaccine, embryonic stem cel
l
research has the potential to affect numerous lives. This means that people
with diabetes, Alzheimer’s, immune deficiencies, heart disease,
Parkinson's, cancer, and debilitating brain and spinal injuries all stand
to be affected by this issue. It also will affect couples with unused
or unwanted embryos, while at the same time setting a precedent that may
cause a drastic shock to the abortion debate thereby including abortion
groups into the issue public as well.
