House Passes Total Cloning
Ban
February 28, 2003 - The House of Representatives Feb.
27 approved the "Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003"
(H.R.
534) that would criminalize both reproductive and therapeutic
cloning by a vote of 241-155. Sponsored by Representatives
Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) and Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), H.R. 534 mirrors
legislation that passed the House in July 2001 but died in
the Senate. A bipartisan alternative (H.R.
801) sponsored by Representative James Greenwood (R-Pa.)
that would ban reproductive cloning while allowing therapeutic
cloning for medical research purposes to continue was defeated
by a vote of 231-174. In a Feb. 26 press release endorsing
the Greenwood alternative, AAMC President Jordan Cohen, M.D.,
stated "while our association views human reproductive
cloning as unethical and unconscionable, we believe it is
important to recognize, as this bill does, the difference
between reproductive and the scientific potential of therapeutic
cloning and regenerative medicine."
Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) has introduced companion legislation
(S.
245) to the Weldon-Stupak bill; however, the bill has
not gathered a filibuster-proof majority. Senators Orrin Hatch
(R-Utah), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Arlen Specter (R-Pa.),
Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), and Zell Miller
(D-Ga.) have introduced legislation (S.
303) similar to Rep. Greenwood's legislation [see Washington
Highlights, Feb. 7].
Information:
Dave Moore, Senior Associate Vice President
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
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