The Democratic-led Congress is expected to schedule a vote to try to override the veto.
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - President George Bush has vetoed a bill that would have eased restrictions on federally-funded stem-cell research.
Bush used his veto power for the second time on the stem-cell issue, the White House issued a statement explaining that if the legislation had become law, "it would compel American taxpayers - for the first time in our history - to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos."
Bush also issued an executive order increasing federal support for stem-cell research using non-embryonic tissues.
Citing recent medical advances that have been obtained by researchers using stem cells derived from amniotic fluid, skin cells, and bone marrow, the White House said that the presidential action would "make it more likely that these exciting advances continue to unfold."
The Democratic-led Congress is expected to schedule a vote to try to override the veto. However, it is unlikely to gain the two-thirds majority needed.
The veto is only the third issued by Bush during his administration.
He vetoed a similar draft bill on stem-cell research in 2006.
His only other veto was used to block legislation tying Iraq war funding to a timetable for troop withdrawal.
Critics say the research requires the destruction of human embryos, which they consider a human life, and argue that alternative methods are showing promise.
President Bush Vetos Stem-Cell Bill AgainSalem-News.com