SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY

LENGTH: 854 words

COMMITTEE: HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE

HEADLINE: TESTIMONY OVERSIGNT OF HUMAN CLONING RESEARCH

TESTIMONY-BY: BOBBY L. RUSH , REPRESENTATIVE

BODY:
March 28, 2001 Opening Statement of U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush Hearing on Issues Raised b Human Cloning Research I want to thank you for holding this hearing on such a contentious and emotional issue. With Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut's cloning of an adult sheep, Dolly, in February of 1997, we all knew that it was only a matter of time before attempts would be made to clone a human. Based on my own personal, moral and religious views, I believe that human cloning raises ethical, religious and moral concerns. However, as co-chair of the House Biotech Caucus I am well aware of the amazing advances science and technology have made in both the medical and agricultural fields to prolong and improve the quality of human life. As an African American, I believe we must look at the ethics of how we intend to act. The expansion of science is not an end unto itself. The expansion of science must be viewed in light of the agenda of those who espouse it and the impact it has on the public. Efficacy is also a major concern. Even if we simply viewed cloning from a purely scientific perspective, devoid of moral considerations, there are major problems. Many prominent scientist have reported that cloning has resulted in developmental delays, heart defects, lung problems and malfunctioning immune systems in mammals. Also, the errors created by cloning are random and may not surface until later life. Thus, until long-term research is done on cloning, we will not know the impact cloning has as cloned species age. The FDA would not release a drug for human consumption which caused major birth defects in lab animals and could therefore harm humans. Based on this same logic, cloning should not be considered for humans until these efficacy issues are addressed. The danger of cloning as a public health concern reaches beyond the cloned infant. The physical and genetic abnormalities of a cloned infant may pose a significant threat to the life and health of the surrogate mother. While it is clear that there are serious problems with human cloning due to moral and public health concerns, I do think that prudence is warranted. As noted, science and the biotech field have brought us many great successes. We must not take action which would impede the legitimate and safe use of biotechnology. Many argue Congress is slow to react to changes in science and technology. I would argue that we must act with caution to ensure the future scientific successes which will make this world healthier and more productive while tightly regulating those practices which pose a clear threat to the health and safety of our citizens.

LOAD-DATE: March 30, 2001, Friday