May  2002 13

Continued

P  U  B  L  I  C     P  O  L  I  C  Y B R I E F I N G Hatch Opposes Cloning Bill The  Senate  debate  on  legislation  to criminalize  reproductive  cloning  and nuclear transplantation took  a  major  turn  last month  when  conserva- tive Republican Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) an- nounced his support of a bill to enable nuclear transplantation for stem cells  and  the  importa- tion  into  the  United States of cures and treat- ments developed using nuclear transplantation. Hatch is a leading con- servative, pro-life Sena- tor. At a packed press con- ference, Sen. Hatch said, “I strongly believe that a critical part of being pro-life is to support measures that help the living.” The bill is sponsored by Senators Boxer (D-CA), Clinton (D-NY), Corzine (D-NJ), Durbin (D-IL), Feinstein (D-CA), Harkin (D- IA), Hatch (R-UT), Kennedy (D-MA), Miller (D-GA), Mikulski (D-MD), Specter (R-PA) and Thurmond (R-SC).  It prohibits repro- ductive  cloning  and  establishes  severe criminal and civil penalties for violating the ban.  It allows nuclear transplantation for stem cells according to specified stan- dards, including informed consent, insti- tutional and board review and protections for safety and privacy. The  bipartisan bill defines human clon- ing  as  “implanting  or  attempting  to  im- plant the product of nuclear transplanta- tion into a uterus or a functional equiva- lent of a uterus.” The Senate is expected to begin debate and vote on this issue in the coming weeks. Current estimates show the outcome of the vote too close to call.  President Bush has said  he  would  sign  the Brownback  bill  if  passed. That   bill   outlaws nuclear  transplanta- tion.   n n First Federal Stem Cell Grants Awarded Seven months after President Bush announced that the Federal Govern- ment would provide funding for re- search on embryonic stem cells, the Depart- ment  of  Health  &  Human  Services  has awarded  $3.5  million  in  resource  infra- structure enhancement awards to four re- search institutions.  The two-year awards are to BresaGen Ltd. of Adelaide, Austra- lia; ES Cell International  of Singapore; the University  of  California,  San  Francisco; and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foun- dation  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin, Madison. This money will help grantees produce and distribute some of the embryonic stem cell lines that meet the criteria set forth by President  Bush  in  his  August  9,  2001 speech to the nation.  The Administration has identified 78 cell lines in the world that meet the criteria.  The NIH funding brings the total number of stem cell lines actually available to researchers to 17. n “I strongly believe that a critical part of being pro- life is to support measures that help the living.” On April 30, Sen. Orrin Hatch  (R-UT)  voiced  his support to a bill that would allow scientists to create  human  embryos through  cloning.