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Conservative Christians are opposing the embryonic stem cell studies, as the embryos would be destroyed after isolating the human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Scientists and lawmakers are trying to find a way to fund for the research on ESCs.

Many states in the US have agreed to fund instate embryonic stem cell (ESC) research on their own. States with strong traditions in academic medicine or with biotech sectors are more likely to benefit economically by encouraging the development of stem cell research.

Many countries are still allowing and supporting the embryonic stem cell (ESC) research using unused in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos, although most of the countries including the US have denied federal funding to most ESC research. Many Asian countries are pushing the ESC studies and the foreign-trained scientists are turning to China, as the regulations are lax.

Many members in Congress have agreed to federally funded embryonic stem cell (ESC) research in response to appeals from groups such as Christopher Reeve Foundation, which advocates for research on spinal injury and juvenile diabetes, and Parkinson's disease groups. The GOP House leaders are facing tough election in November 2006 as the president has signed the bill outlawing fetal farming and vetoed the funding-expansion measure.

The US President George W. Bush has used his veto power to stop a bill that would have increased federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells (ESCs) on July 19, 2006. The president and other conservatives believe that the morality forbids destroying additional embryos, regardless of the cells' treatment-producing potential, however the ESC-research supporters believe that the cells' life-saving potential outweighs the misgivings over destruction of in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos, most of which will be discarded.