issued amoratorium on federal funding for research on fetal tissueobtained through induced abortions. This effectively stoppedall research on fetal tissue in federally fundedlaboratories. Even though the moratorium only applied tofederal funding, in reality it stopped all legitimateresearch involving fetal tissue because of the enormous costsassociated with a single operation easily exceeding $50,000.Private researchers were discouraged and unwilling to take achance on such expensive experiments without the likelihoodof being reimbursed for their time and expense. In support ofthe moratorium, President Bush stated that the ban was not anabsolute ban on fetal tissue research, nor was it banningfederal funding of all types of fetal tissue research. Hereiterated that the moratorium was only applicable to federalfunding of fetal tissue research obtained from inducedabortions. Federal funding could still be obtained forresearch using tissue from spontaneous abortions(miscarriages), ectopic pregnancies and stillbirths. Inconclusion, President Bush stated that the Nation's bestinterest would not be served through granting federal fundsfor research that was "promoting and legitimizing abortion"and which is deemed "morally repugnant" to many Americans.In May 1992, in an attempt to appear sympathetic to theneeds of medical science while not alienating its close tieswith the anti-abortion groups, President Bush'sadministration agreed to establish a fetal tissue bank. Thebank would collect tissue from miscarriages and ectopicpregnancies and distribute fetal tissue to medicalresearchers. However, for a variety of reasons, theestablishment of a fetal tissue bank would not be able toprovide the quality or quantity of tissue necessary for mosttransplantation purposes. One of Bill Clinton's first official duties as Presidentof the United States was the rescission of the moratoriuminvolving fetal tissue transplantation research. Using hisexecutive auth...
