The Obama administration has told members of the President's Council on Bioethics, which deals with the ethics of human embryo research, that they are no longer needed.
According to The New York Times, the Council -- established by President George W. Bush in 2001 -- will be replaced by President Obama with a new panel that has a new mandate and "offers practical policy options." However, Dr. David Prentice of the Family Research Council (FRC) believes the president is interested in getting rid of any criticism -- and when making fresh appointments, to make sure they are rubber-stamped.
"The current President's Council on Bioethics, 10 of the 18 members, criticized his 'opening up' policy of the government for more embryo research and embryo destruction," explains the FRC spokesman.
That involves killing a tiny human being, Prentice explains.
"In the last eight years, the current council -- under Leon Kass and then Ed Pellegrino -- has done an excellent job of looking at all sides of the issue, trying to present them, [and] educate the public as well as policy makers," he shares. "It's been a very diverse group with lots of different opinions."
Prentice believes the new panel will be stacked with people with radical views on the subject who will simply side with the president's intentions and say they are ethical.