CGS-authored
The Democrats' sweeping takeover of Congress and its "New Direction For America" put them in a position to give Americans the change in political leadership they are waiting for.
Much of the Democrats' plan walks the traditional party line: raising the minimum wage, lowering prescription drug costs and preventing Social Security privatization. But the midterm results also have given them confidence to put what many perceive to be a polarizing wedge issue back on the table -- embryonic stem cell research.
New House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reintroduced the already-vetoed Castle-DeGette Bill, which would lift the Bush administration's restrictions on federal funding for this research, and it passed the House last week. This could mark a significant turning point in stem cell politics.
If the bill passes the Senate and survives another possible veto, Democrats may be in a position to take a series of important steps to curb the political rhetoric, educate the public on this remarkably complex issue, and move beyond discussions on whether embryonic stem cell research should take place and focus instead on how Congress can best...