Academics, investors, enthusiasts, and potential patients have spent the entire month waiting for Barack Obama to discuss a plan for stem cell research - as if 8 years wasn't excruciating enough. He let down the community once again after he failed to focus any direct attention to the issue in his speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.However, for those who can decipher the rhetoric, Obama left many teasers that allude to an imminent reversal of President Bush's executive order that banned federal funding of stem cell research:
- "Our recovery plan will invest in electronic health records and new technology that will reduce errors, bring down costs, ensure privacy, and save lives. It will launch a new effort to conquer a disease that has touched the life of nearly every American by seeking a cure for cancer in our time. And it makes the largest investment ever in preventive care, because that is one of the best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under control."
- "Now, there will be many different opinions and ideas about how to achieve reform, and that is why I'm bringing together businesses and workers, doctors and health care providers, Democrats and Republicans to begin work on this issue next week."
This last statement leads me to believe that Obama has made a decision to let the issue play out in Congress some time next week before throwing in his two cents, which can yield great promise for those of us who are "tracking" the industry.
True, this route of action can cause a delay, one that may cost people suffering from various ailments to lose their lives in the process, but it will help legitimize the cause.
Barack Obama believes that by allowing stem cell research to make its way through Congress, it will offer the controversial issue credibility by eliminating partisanship, even though many Republicans now support it. But not everyone supports it, and Obama will earn political points by letting the Representatives take the heat, and praise, for any decisions made.
Legislation from Congress will also help ensure that the funding of stem cell research cannot be tampered with again because of one man's decision via executive order. This is the main reason for Obama taking this course, or so I'd like to believe.
So while it is easy to start feeling anxious this close to the prize, it is important to remain patient and take comfort in knowing that help will be coming in the near future. After all, as advocates, are we not already used to waiting in the dark? A few more weeks shouldn't kill too many of us...
