Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson on May 24 hailed President Bush's decision to veto stem-cell research legislation being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives, calling the president's position "a principled stand in defense of human life."

In a letter to House leaders outlining administration policy, the White House declares that the bill, H.R. 810, "would require Federal taxpayer dollars to be used to encourage the ongoing destruction of nascent human life. The bill would compel all American taxpayers to pay for research that relies on the intentional destruction of human embryos for the derivation of stem cells." The letter continues, "Destroying nascent human life for research raises serious ethical problems, and many millions of Americans consider the practice immoral."

"In opposing the stem-cell bill, President Bush has taken a bold and politically difficult stance in favor of human life," Anderson said. "This is not a partisan issue -- the bill is sponsored by a member of the president's own party, and unfortunately many members of both parties do not appreciate the grave moral issues that are at stake. But the president has decided to do all he can to educate the American public about these moral issues, and the 1.7 million members of the Knights of Columbus are grateful to him for doing so."

"The president's strong stand on behalf of society's most vulnerable members is heartening for everyone in the pro-life movement," Anderson concluded.