[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
[December 2, 1994]
[Page 2142]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 2142]]


Statement on Federal Funding of Research on Human Embryos
December 2, 1994

    The Director of the National Institutes of Health has received a 
report regarding Federal funding of research on human embryos. The 
subject raises profound ethical and moral questions as well as issues 
concerning the appropriate allocation of Federal funds. I appreciate the 
work of the committees that have considered this complex issue, and I 
understand that advances in in vitro fertilization research and other 
areas could derive from such work. However, I do not believe that 
Federal funds should be used to support the creation of human embryos 
for research purposes, and I have directed that NIH not allocate any 
resources for such research. In order to ensure that advice on complex 
bioethical issues that affect our society can continue to be developed, 
we are planning to move forward with the establishment of a National 
Bioethics Advisory Commission over the next year.