Bush Stem Cell Veto Could Create U.S. Brain Drain
Posted on August 7, 2006
George Bush's veto of a new stem cell bill is likely to send U.S. scientists overseas to countries like Great Britain, where more lenient stem cell laws will allow them to conduct embryonic stem cell research. A Guardian article says Bush is risking a "brain drain" by vetoing the bill.
The United States is risking a "brain drain", in which its scientists will flock across the Atlantic, after the EU reached a "historic" deal yesterday on human embryonic stem cells.It isn't smart to veto a bill that Americans support especially when it is going to cost our country good jobs. The veto will also allow other countries to surpass the U.S. in medical expertise.A week after George Bush limited federal funds for the highly sensitive area, the EU warned Washington that "disillusioned" US scientists will want to make the most of Europe's more liberal rules.
Lord Sainsbury, Britain's science minister, said: "There are a group of American scientists who are very disillusioned. In this field we have seen US scientists coming to the UK. If the US continues to take this very negative position I think within this field of regenerative medicine we will see scientists come from America and from other parts of the world, who would have gone to America, to the UK instead."