On Tuesday, the Obama administration formally challenged a court order prohibiting federal funding of embryonic stem research, the Washington Post's "The Checkup" reports (Stein, "The Checkup," Washington Post, 8/31).
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth issued a temporary injunction on the funding, ruling that it violated a federal law known as the Dickey-Wicker amendment, which bans the use of public funds for research that involves destroying human embryos (Meckler, Wall Street Journal, 9/1).
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice asked Lamberth to lift the ban, arguing that it would jeopardize millions of dollars intended for projects already under way and prevent "significant additional medical breakthroughs."
NIH Director Francis Collins noted that the injunction prevents NIH from distributing $54 million to 24 projects that were anticipating renewal in September. An additional 199 grants also would be suspended, which could lead to the elimination of 1,300 full- or part-time jobs, Collins said ("The Checkup," Washington Post, 8/31).
Next Steps
It is unknown when Lamberth will issue his decision on the federal government's petition.
Federal officials said they also intend to appeal the ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (Holland, AP/Boston Globe, 9/1).