---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 14:30:16 PDT
From: AFP <C-afp@clari.net>
Subject: US lawmakers introduce bill to ban all forms of human cloning
WASHINGTON, April 26 (AFP) - US lawmakers on Thursday introduced
a bill to ban all forms of human cloning including "therapeutic
cloning" used in embryonic stem cell research.
The Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001 goes one step further
than legislation introduced earlier this month by a senator that
would ban "reproductive cloning," or allowing the birth of a cloned
human.
"Efforts to create human beings by cloning mark a new and
decisive step toward turning human reproduction into a manufacturing
process," said Kansas Senator Sam Brownback in introducing the
measure.
As for cloning to develop stem cells, Brownback said the
prospect of "creating new human life solely to be exploited and
destroyed in this way has been condemned on moral grounds by many as
displaying a profound disrespect for human life."
The bill, backed by Representative Dave Weldon of Florida, would
make human cloning a federal criminal offense punishable by up to 10
years imprisonment and a fine of not less than one million dollars.
The measure would include a ban on the importation of cloned
products.
Both lawmakers argued that stem research could continue using
stem cells from adult tissues, placentas and so on.
"Other scientific research, using cloning techniques to produce
molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos, tissues, organs,
plants, or animals other than humans, is explicitly permitted,"
explained a fact sheet on the bill produced by the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Weldon and Brownback said they felt the bill had a good chance
of passing both the House and Senate, pointing out that a recent
Time/CNN poll showed 90 percent of Americans said it was "a bad
idea" to clone human beings.
If approved, the bill would then go to President George W. Bush,
who has come out against human cloning, to be signed into law.
On April 5, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell introduced a bill
that would ban human cloning and urged members the House of
Representatives to follow suit.
His proposal would ban all attempts to clone a human being
regardless of whether this effort is financed with government or
private funds.
In 1997, the administration of former president Bill Clinton
declared a five-year moratorium on human cloning financed by
government funds, but at the moment, nothing prevents a
privately-financed experiment.
Previous attempts to pass legislation banning human cloning have
been unsuccessful.
Proponents of human cloning include Panos Zavos, a naturalized
American and former professor of reproductive psychology at the
University of Kentucky who is a member of a private consortium
working on human cloning.
In addition, Clonaid, a firm founded by the Raelians, a
religious sect, has announced plans to clone a 10-month-old dead
baby.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon May 28 2001 - 09:59:59 MDT