President Bush will not name pro-abortion AIDS researcher Anthony Fauci as the director of the National Institutes of Health, according to an unidentified official in the administration. Instead, President Bush is “close” to naming an unidentified alternate candidate.
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson has been “pushing” for Fauci — who has been the director of NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984 — to be named NIH director since the summer. However, administration officials are concerned with Fauci's silence on “whether he supports abortion.” Fauci in the past has called research using tissue from aborted children “scientifically significant.”
Coalitions of pro-life advocates have closely monitored candidates for NIH director and were concerned that someone would be appointed who did not share their views on the life issue, said Deal Hudson, an outside White House adviser on Catholic issues who is editor of Crisis Magazine. “The trouble all along was finding someone who had the adequate research credentials along with the kind of [pro-life] values that President Bush wants to affirm,” Hudson said. Scientists don't welcome “those who affirm life in an earnest way,” he contended, making it hard to find someone with the scientific credentials who also opposes abortion and has pro-life stances on related issues.
Ken Connor, president of the Family Research Council, referred to a 1988 article in which Fauci spoke favorably about AIDS research using human fetal tissue in explaining why he opposes him. “This is a fellow who may put research first and ethics second,” he said.
The administration could fill the position as early as this month.
(This article courtesy of Steven Ertelt and the Pro-Life Infonet email newsletter. For more information or to subscribe go to www.prolifeinfo.org or email infonet@prolifeinfo.org.)
