President Barack Obama will most likely sign an order that will end restrictions on funding embryonic stem cell research. The order, which basically gives the National Institutes of Health a period of 120 days to come up with ethical guidelines for stem cell research, would fill a campaign promise. 

 

President Obama will also most likely sing a memorandum that will "restore scientific integrity in government decision making," as Melody Barnes, director of the president's Domestic Policy Council, said according to ABCNews.com. The memorandum could prove very useful in assuring that public policy is guided by scientific advice, said Mr. Barnes, unlike during the Bush administration when politics have pretty much influenced decisions. 

 

According to Obama administration advisers, the signing of this order will be the first step of a broader plan to establish scientific-based guidelines for the administration’s policies. 

 

White House Council of Advisers on Science and Technology chairman, Harold Varmus, pointed out that the memorandum will not focus solely on stem cell research, but it would also address the way our government uses science, The Associated Press reported. 

 

The memorandum will also include important areas such as energy and climate change. 

 

During the Bush administration, the funds for stem cell research were limited to a reduced number of stem cell lines, which are groups of cells that are able to continue to multiply in lab conditions. In the mean time, hundreds of new, healthier lines have been created and they could be used to treat numerous diseases.