Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) issued a statement condemning the Trump Administration's refusal to lift their ban on fetal tissue research as scientists and medical professionals work tirelessly to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and save lives:

"Scientists have told Congress again and again that fetal tissue is the gold standard for vaccine research. The ban on this research imposed by the Trump Administration last year has no scientific purpose, with reports showing it already impacting promising, life-saving medical research. This new report reveals that even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the Trump administration is unwilling to set aside their dangerous anti-science bias to allow research to go forward simply because it involves fetal tissue.

"That the Trump Administration prioritizes their illogical and harmful anti-science agenda over stopping this pandemic shows once again that they would rather score political points with their anti-abortion friends than save millions of lives. The fact that Health and Human Services (HHS) has not even responded to scientists’ repeated requests to move forward with this research should horrify every American waiting for a vaccine to COVID-19.

"HHS must authorize this research immediately and while the ban on fetal tissue research should be lifted permanently, at the very least it must be lifted during this pandemic."