Groups praise stem cell bill Bush would veto

Jewish groups praised stem cell research legislation that President Bush has sworn to veto. The legislation, passed Thursday by the U.S. House of Reprsentatives, incorporates the research Bush favors, using non-embryonic stem cells. However, it would also fund research using embryonic stem cells that would otherwise be discarded, something Bush has rejected, heeding Christian conservatives who deem it as toying with human life.”If this bill were to become law, American taxpayers would for the first time in our history be compelled to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos,” Bush said in a statement “Crossing that line would be a grave mistake. For that reason, I will veto the bill passed today.” The bill passed 247-176, less than the two-thirds majority it needs to be veto-proof. The Senate passed a version of the Bill in April. Embryonic stem cell research has wall to wall Jewish community support, and groups on Thursday pleaded with Bush to withhold his veto. “we would hope President Bush would allow the legislation passed by Congress to stand,” the Orthodox Union said in a statement. “Failing that we would encourage Congress to override the President’s veto.” Echoed the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center: “We call on President Bush to demonstrate leadership by signing this bill into law. Barring such action, we call on members of both the House and Senate to override a presidential veto and bring hope to millions of Americans.” June Walker, the president of Hadassah, which led lobbying for the bill, “implored” Bush not to use his veto. Also praising the bill’s passage was B’nai B’rith International.