{"id":230919,"date":"2020-09-19T09:29:27","date_gmt":"2020-09-19T14:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=230919"},"modified":"2020-09-18T15:32:37","modified_gmt":"2020-09-18T20:32:37","slug":"fetal-tissue-necessary-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/fetal-tissue-necessary-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Fetal tissue is not necessary for medical innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Politico recently\u00a0published<\/a> the results of a long-running investigation by lawmakers who oppose the Trump administration’s efforts to put an end to taxpayer-funded\u00a0research using the body parts of aborted children. The administration halted<\/a>\u00a0funding for it, and established<\/a> a Human Tissue Ethics Advisory Board to evaluate applications for NIH funding going forward.\u00a0Politico\u00a0alleged that lawmakers’ investigation discovered these restrictions on fetal tissue research were driven by \u201cpolitical considerations despite health officials\u2019 promise to follow the science….\u201d<\/p>\n

“For more than a year, the Trump Administration\u2019s restrictive policy has impeded critical research and promising therapies for a number of diseases\u2014including for coronavirus,” Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), and Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) claimed in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.<\/p>\n

It should be noted that the Trump administration’s policy affects government-funded<\/em> (taxpayer-funded) research, not privately-funded research.<\/p>\n

READ: The truth about COVID-19 vaccines, cells from aborted children, and \u2018fetal tissue\u2019 research<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

These lawmakers also urged Azar to ignore the Human Fetal Tissue Ethics Advisory Board\u2019s advice regarding research using the body parts of aborted humans. The newly created board recently advised<\/a> Azar to reject funding 13 research proposals because the committee felt the projects did not justify the use of the remains of aborted children.<\/p>\n

Advocates of “fetal tissue research” assert that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made these types of taxpayer-funded experiments absolutely necessary. However, science\u00a0proves<\/a> that preborn children are human beings, and ethical alternatives to fetal tissue research must be pursued, rather than experimenting on children who have been killed through elective abortions. Despite the controversy associated with fetal experimentation, supporters of it often attack attempts to ban it by relying on false claims to justify the practice. Here are the facts.<\/p>\n

Restrictions on Fetal Tissue Research Do Not Reduce Innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back in March, mainstream publications like the Washington Post asserted<\/a> that research using aborted baby body parts was the only way to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. This claim is patently untrue, and the Charlotte Lozier Institute issued a response<\/a> that thoroughly debunked this argument.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose who advocate experimentation using body parts harvested from aborted children are shamelessly exploiting the coronavirus pandemic, playing on people\u2019s fears at a vulnerable time so that a select few can continue to use aborted fetal tissue in their research,\u201d the pro-life research institute stated. \u201cThe fact is that there are modern, successful alternatives available. Already, over 60 potential treatments are under investigation \u2013 none of which need aborted fetal tissue to fight coronavirus… Instead of wasting precious time listening to these dishonest claims, we should continue to focus our attention on successful, ethical alternatives that don\u2019t require the exploitation of baby body parts, taxpayer dollars, and public sentiment that just wants a swift and compassionate end to this crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n