House Votes to Criminalize Cloning On July 31, 2001, the House of Representa- tives debated and voted on legislation to ban somatic cell nuclear transfer technol- ogy for both reproductive and therapeutic purposes. The Human Cloning
Prohibition Act of 2001, sponsored by Rep.
Dave Weldon (R- FL), if it becomes
law, would ban all so- matic cell
nuclear transfer technology and institute
criminal penalties of up to 10
years in prison and civil penalties
starting at $1 million for anyone that
performs, at- tempts to perform,
participates, or ships or receives somatic
cell nuclear transfer tech- nology or its
products. In addition, the bill would
ban the importation into
the United States of any
prod- uct of the technology,
which would prevent
Americans from being able to take
ad- vantage of any cures
or treatments developed
over- seas. The major amendment considered by the House was offered by Rep.
Jim Greenwood (R-PA)
and Rep. Peter Deutsch (D-FL).
Their amendment would have only
pre- vented somatic cell nuclear transfer
tech- nology for reproduction,
but not for re- search. It would also have
required re- searchers who
intend to conduct human somatic cell
nuclear transfer research to register with the Department of Health and Human Services. The Amendment failed by a vote of 178 – 249, with 25 Republi- cans in support and 53 Democrats in op-
position. A
successful amendment, by Rep. Bobby Scott
(D-VA), would require a study by the General Accounting Office, to be completed in four
years, to assess the contin- ued need for the prohibition on cloning, including a re- view of new developments in medical technology. This amendment was supported by
all sides and approved by voice
vote. As the difficult
afternoon progressed with
nerves frayed and tempers short, the
debate on the bill and the
Greenwood/Deutsch amend- ment got
contentious and sometimes per- sonal. Supporters of
the Weldon bill argued that all cloning must be prohibited because allowing some cloning would start down a slip-
pery slope toward cloning for reproduction. Some members even expressed fear about the creation
of “embryo farms.”
Opponents of the Weldon legislation took full advan- tage of House rules by trying to redraft the Weldon bill to allow the use of human so- matic cell nuclear transfer in connection with the develop- ment or application of treatments designed to address Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, spi-
nal cord injury, multiple
sclerosis, severe burns, or
other diseases, disorders or condi- tions
provided that the product of such use is
not utilized to initiate a pregnancy. These parliamentary maneuvers rarely work and are routinely used to make a point. The
mo- P U B L I C
P O L I C Y
B R I E F I N G August 2001 Continue
11
The Human Cloning
Pro- hibition Act of
2001 spon- sored
by Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL), if it
be- comes
law, would ban all somatic cell nuclear
transfer technology
and institute
criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison and civil penalties
starting at $1
million. As the
difficult afternoon progressed with nerves frayed and tempers short,
the debate on the
bill and
the Greenwood/ Deutsch amendment got contentious and
some- times
personal.