WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback held a news conference today in response to the recent announcement of the production of cloned human embryos. Brownback opposes human cloning.

“As many of you know, Advanced Cell Technologies announced yesterday that it had successfully produced the first human clones,” Brownback said. “Now that the threshold has been crossed, it is only a matter of time before cloned human embryos are implanted for live birth.

“We must ban all human cloning; whether it is for reproductive purposes, or for destructive experimental purposes.

“The House has already passed a comprehensive and complete ban on all human cloning. The Senate must follow the actions taken by the House earlier this year, and pass a complete ban on human cloning.

“While I realize the debate on cloning is scheduled to occur in the Senate next spring – the events of the past day make it clear that we must act sooner. I call on Senate Leadership to immediately take up and pass the House-passed bill, which is currently being held at the desk, on human cloning.

“This is an important issue – an issue that commands our attention in part because of the vast historical consequence, and also because it is an issue that focuses are attention on the meaning of life – and whether or not we will, as a society, allow life to be created and destroyed at our whim.

“I urge the Senate to pass a complete ban on human cloning immediately,” Brownback said.

Participants in the news conference included: Sen. Sam Brownback; Rep. Chris Smith; William Kristol, The Bioethics Project; Jaydee Hanson, United Methodist General Board of Church and Society; Nigel Cameron, Wilberforce Forum; Richard Doerflinger, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Doug Johnson, National Right to Life Committee; Ken Connor, Family Research Council; Wendy Wright, Concerned Women for America; Brent Blackwelder, Friends of the Earth; Andrew Kimbrell, Center for Technology Assessment; Sam Casey, Christian Legal Society.