Embryonic stem cells are important because they are pluripotent, meaning they can develop into any type of cell in the human body. Due to this, researchers believe that embryonic stem cells hold enormous potential for regenerative medicine, including therapies for conditions such as spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’, and juvenile diabetes among more.
However, this type of research raises ethical concerns because harvesting embryonic stem cells causes the embryo to be destroyed. This leads to the debate of when human life begins and whether the destruction of embryos is morally correct. This debate has created a divide between political party policy stances over stem cell policy.
The Democratic Stance on Embryonic Stem-Cell Research
The Democratic policy stance on Embryonic Stem-Cell Research laws are impacted by their potential to advance medical breakthrough cures for Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s, and other disorders. Therefore, most Democrats are in favor of using federal funds to support embryonic stem cell research.
Key democratic figures, such as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, have made public statements in support of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 and 2007, which would have increased funding for stem-cell research. When Barack Obama was elected as president, one of his early acts was to sign Executive Order 13505, reversing Republican President George W. Bush’s 2001 restriction policy on embryonic stem-cell funding
Democratic voters are supportive of stem cell research; 60% of Democrats prioritize research over the protection of embryonic life. Additionally, a 2004 by Gallup poll found that 76% of Democrats are in favor of easing federal funding restrictions regarding embryonic stem cell research. Only 12% of democrats want to keep the current federal funding policy the same, and 8% of Democrats don’t want to fund Embryonic stem-cell research at all.
Furthermore, while the Democratic Party platform does not explicitly make a statement on embryonic stem-cell research, the Democratic Party strongly supports federal investment in medical research and reproductive rights, which are adjacent issues that come up in the debate over embryonic stem-cell research.
The Republican Stance on Embryonic Stem-Cell Research
The republican party political stance on embryonic stem-cell research is shaped by the belief that stem cell research has the same moral problems as abortion, since the research involves the destruction of human embryos. As a result, a majority of republicans oppose embryonic stem cell research.
This belief is reflected in the policies that Republican politicians have advocated for. In 2001, Republican President George W. Bush announced a policy that limited federal funding to only the existing embryonic stem-cell lines. In 2006 and 2007, Bush also vetoed two bipartisan bills that sought to expand financing of stem-cell research.
Related to this issue, in 2019, Donald Trump halted new federal funding for research using fetal tissue, which is obtained after an elective abortion.
The 2016 Republican Party platform explicitly says that they oppose federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. The 2004 Gallup poll shows that a majority of Republican voters share this stance, as 57% of Republicans reported wanting restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research to protect embryos. Moreover, only 37% of Republicans are supportive of stem cell research and would prioritize research over the protection of embryonic life.
A Brief History of Embryonic Stem-Cell Research Policy
Embryonic stem cell policy in the United States revolves around whether federal funds should be used to support this type of research. In 1995, Congress passed the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, which banned federal funding from being used in embryonic research that destroyed embryos, no matter how the embryo was sourced.
By August of 2001, President George W. Bush announced his policy that would allow federal funding for research on the 64 existing embryonic stem cell lines, allowing funding while not supporting the destruction of embryos.
On July 18, 2006, the United States House and Senate passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005 to address embryonic stem-cell research. This act would have allowed federal funding to be used only in embryonic stem cell research that used embryos from leftover IVF treatments. However, President George W. Bush vetoed this bill, and Congress did not have enough votes to override the veto. A year later, Congress tried to pass a similar bill, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, which President George W. Bush vetoed again.
The most recent US stem cell research policy change occurred in 2009, when President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13505 — Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells. This allowed federal funding for the research of new lines of human embryonic stem cells, which had been prohibited since President Bush’s 2001 policy.
Current Policy on Embryonic Stem-Cell Research
As of 2025, United States policy on stem cell research allows funding for its research under certain guidelines. These guidelines are outlined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The guidelines state that funding is allowed to be given to research that obtains embryos created using IVF for reproductive purposes, but that are no longer needed. The embryos must be voluntarily donated by the individuals who were undergoing IVF, and written consent must be obtained. There can also be no payments for donating embryos. Embryos can also not be created for the sole purpose of research.
Some states have expanded funding for embryonic stem-cell research to supplement federal funding. For example, California’s Proposition 71 in 2004 allocated $3 billion of state funds to fund embryonic stem-cell research for the next 10 years. Following this policy, states like Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, and New York all passed laws to fund embryonic stem-cell research, and these policies include strict ethical guidelines to ensure informed consent and responsible sourcing of embryos.
In contrast, other states have passed policies that further restrict or place a ban on embryonic stem-cell research. Both Louisiana and South Dakota have placed policies that explicitly ban human embryo research. Minnesota, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania place bans on research that could harm human embryos, but this policy still allows the research of existing embryonic stem-cell lines.
This inconsistency among states policies happens for the same reasons that there are opposing political party stances. Conservative states are worried about the ethics of hurting an embryos, while liberal states are more concerned with the potential cures that embryonic stem-cell research could bring.
What the Future Holds
The future of embryonic stem cell research policy will continue to develop through changes in political leadership and scientific findings. A Republican president could restrict funding again, while a Democrat might expand it. Additionally, policy could also be influenced if scientist are able to find breakthrough cures, or if scientific alternatives such as induced pluripotent stem cell, which are adult cells that are reprogrammed into a pluripotent state, are found to be just as useful as embryonic stem cells.
To compare political parties’ views on other key policy topics, visit Biasly’s full list of Political Party Policy Stances.
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