Zucker Stem Cell Ad Aimed at Bush

U.S. film director Jerry Zucker has created a short ad in response to President Bush’s threat to veto stem cell legislation passed by Congress.

The ad, which can be found on YouTube, depicts two fertility clinic researchers asking Bush what they should do with frozen, surplus embryos that couples no longer need.

The researchers say they could discard the embryos or they could be used for stem cell research that could lead to cures for various diseases. Bush tells them to throw them in the trash. The researchers plead with Bush to save the embryos, but he refuses.

Congress last week passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act for the second year in a row. The bill would relax restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, including allowing the use of surplus embryos from fertilization clinics that are destined to be discarded.

Bush vetoed the bill last year and has pledged to do so this year as well.