Back to the Main Presidential Candidate Menu

Barack Obama’s Official Website (www.barackobama.com)

STEM CELL RESEARCH:
What form of stem cell research would you permit access to federal funds?
- Therapeutic cloning (SCNT)¹
- Adult Stem cell research: Opposed.
- Leftover embryos and embryo destructive research

Would you support, and continue, President Bush’s ban on the use of federal funds for research on human embryonic stem cell lines created after August 2001? No.

Advance Stem Cell Research:

Despite recent advances pointing to alternatives like adult stem cell and cord blood, embryonic stem cells remain unmatched in their potential for treatment of a wide variety of diseases and health conditions. Barack Obama has been a long-term supporter of increased stem cell research. He introduced legislation while a member of the Illinois Senate that would allow embryonic stem cell research in Illinois. Obama has cosponsored legislation to allow greater federal government funding on a wider array of stem cell lines. Obama believes we need high ethical standards that allow for research on stem cells derived from embryos produced for in vitro fertilization, embryos that would otherwise be needlessly destroyed. (Barack Obama: Investing in Science Research.)

CLONING & HUMAN EMBRYO RESEARCH:
Would you support a federal law prohibiting states from engaging in research in which (or which relies on research in which) a human embryo is destroyed? No.

Would you support a federal law prohibiting human cloning? Yes.²

ABORTION:
Do you support Medicaid-funded abortions? Yes.

Obama supports abortion rights. He opposed restrictions on public financing of abortions while serving in the Illinois legislature. He said partial-birth abortion only focuses on 1 percent of all cases, and would entrust a woman to make such a decision for herself. (FOXNews)

HEALTH CARE:

Obama’s plan to cover the uninsured Americans: Obama will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress.

Mandatory coverage of children: Obama will require that all children have health care coverage. Obama will expand the number of options for young adults to get coverage, including allowing young people up to age 25 to continue coverage through their parents’ plans.

Support disease management programs: Obama will require that providers that participate in the new public plan, Medicare or the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) utilize proven disease management programs. This will improve quality of care, give doctors better information and lower costs.

Require full transparency about quality and costs. Obama will require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care. Health plans will also be required to disclose the percentage of premiums that go to patient care as opposed to administrative costs.

Tackle disparities in health care. Obama will tackle the root causes of health disparities by addressing differences in access to health coverage and promoting prevention and public health, both of which play a major role in addressing disparities.

Insurance reform. Obama will strengthen antitrust laws to prevent insurers from overcharging physicians for their malpractice insurance and will promote new models for addressing errors that improve patient safety, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and reduce the need for malpractice suits.

Lower prescription drug cost: Obama will allow Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower outside the U.S. Obama will also repeal the ban that prevents the government from negotiating with drug companies, which could result in savings as high as $30 billion. Finally, Obama will work to increase the use of generic drugs in Medicare, Medicaid, and FEHBP and prohibit big name drug companies from keeping generics out of markets.

Support Americans with disabilities: Obama is committed to strengthening and better enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so that future generations of Americans with disabilities have equal rights and opportunities. Barack Obama is also committed to ensuring that disabled Americans receive Medicaid and Medicare benefits in a low-cost, effective and timely manner. (Barack Obama’s Health Care Plan)

Proposes affordable universal coverage via a mix of private and more expansive public coverage; would create the National Health Insurance Exchange, into which small businesses and people with no access to other forms of coverage could enroll; all children would be required to have health insurance; employers would be required to offer “meaningful” coverage or contribute to funding the new public program. Obama would expand Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. (Fernandez, Elizabeth. 2008 Voters Guide, The Road to the Presidency. Health Care: Insurance funding. San Francisco Chronicle. Jan 27, 2008.)

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH:
Advance the biomedical research field:

As a result of biomedical research the prevention, early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer and heart disease is better today than any other time in history. Barack Obama has consistently supported funding for the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Obama strongly supports investments in biomedical research, as well as medical education and training in health-related fields, because it provides the foundation for new therapies and diagnostics. As president, Obama will strengthen funding for biomedical research, and better improve the efficiency of that research by improving coordination both within government and across government/private/non-profit partnerships. An Obama administration will ensure that we translate scientific progress into improved approaches to disease prevention, early detection and therapy that is available for all Americans. (Barack Obama’s Healthcare plan.)

Invest in the Sciences:

Barack Obama supports doubling federal funding for basic research, changing the posture of our federal government from being one of the most anti-science administrations in American history to one that embraces science and technology. This will foster home-grown innovation, help ensure the competitiveness of US technology-based businesses, and ensure that 21st century jobs can and will grow in America. As a share of the Gross Domestic Product, American federal investment in the physical sciences and engineering research has dropped by half since 1970. Yet, it often has been federally-supported basic research that has generated the innovation to create markets and drive economic growth. For example, one recent report demonstrated how federally supported research in fiber optics and lasers helped spur the telecommunications revolution. (Barack Obama: Technology Issues.)

Fight Health Disparities:

Research has shown that American minority groups suffer disproportionately from diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Barack Obama helped write and is an original cosponsor of the Minority Health Improvement and Health Disparity Elimination Act, which seeks to understand the root causes of health disparities and to start addressing them. The bill puts new emphasis on disparity research by reporting health care data by race and ethnicity, as well as socioeconomic status and level of health literacy. The legislation outlines mechanisms to conduct educational outreach to minorities, increase diversity among health care professionals, and improve the delivery of health care to minorities. (Barack Obama: Technology Issues.)

Support Americans with autism:

Barack Obama believes that we can do more to help autistic Americans and their families understand and live with autism. He has been a strong supporter of more than $1 billion in federal funding for autism research on the root causes and treatments, and he believes that we should increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to truly ensure that no child is left behind. (Barack Obama’s Healthcare plan.

References
1 S.1520 This bill prohibits reproductive cloning but permits therapeutic cloning.

2 S.1520

Please feel free to add additional comments and information/links to this candidate’s positions on bioethics issues in the comment area below.

Back to the Main Presidential Candidate Menu