There was a law against human embroyo research in Switzerland until 2004. Not just a lack of government funding but a ban on private research but not in America: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1410782,00.html

"The referendum challenging the medical research law adopted by the Swiss parliament in 2003 was launched by anti-abortion and religious groups, which oppose the principle of using "living" human embryos."

Meanwhile back at the ranch:

The Bush Administration was the first to provide federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. In keeping with this commitment, the Administration:
   Provided FY 2003 funding of $24.8 million for human embryonic stem cell research, an increase of 132 percent from FY 2002; in FY 2003 the Administration has strongly supported promising research using adult stem cells by providing $190.7 million for human non-embryonic stem cells (adult stem cells, including those from cord blood, placenta, and bone marrow).
Clarification of current NIH rules to enable researchers to participate in privately-funded stem cell research without compromising their ability to receive NIH funding for separate projects.
    NIH currently funds three Exploratory Centers of Excellence to promote basic research on embryonic stem cells.
    NIH is also engaged in a project on its Bethesda campus to comprehensively analyze the properties of the stem cell lines that are eligible for federal funding, which will provide researchers with valuable information.
    NIH developed five training courses to help American and foreign scientists acquire needed skills and techniques to culture human embryonic stem cell lines.
    NIH has funded an adult stem cell bank which provides mesenchymal stem cells to the research community. This type of adult stem cell is able to proliferate, which lends itself to the degree of expansion necessary for wide distribution; they have also been shown to have the capacity to differentiate into specialized cells. It is worth noting that Federal funds are available for the derivation of adult stem cells.