Bishops’ spokeswoman applauds Judiciary Committee approval of human cloning ban

Washington - On February 12, 2003, the House Judiciary Committee voted to pass the Human Cloning Prohibition Act, H.R. 534, by a vote of 19 to 12. The bill, sponsored by Representatives Weldon (R-FL) and Stupak (D-MI), next will be considered by the full House of Representatives where it is likely to receive overwhelming approval.

"The Judiciary Committee should be commended for approving a real ban on human cloning and for rejecting amendments to authorize the most grotesque experimentation," said Cathy Cleaver, Director of Planning and Information for the Pro-Life Secretariat of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Proponents of human cloning for research have constructed a new terminology all their own to disguise their intent. For example, they say they oppose "human cloning" but support "somatic cell nuclear transfer" or "SCNT" - but SCNT is simply the scientific name for the human cloning procedure. In fact, SCNT is the very same procedure the Raelians claim to have used to create "Eve."

The committee rejected amendments purporting to allow cloning only to "produce stem cells," another example of distorted rhetoric: the procedure does not produce stem cells, it produces human embryos who then must be killed to obtain their stem cells.

The Weldon/Stupak bill is carefully crafted to prohibit human cloning, and nothing more. It explicitly allows biomedical research that involves cloning of DNA, genes, tissues, organs, plants, animals, and cells other than human embryos.

"H.R. 534 deserves swift approval by both houses of Congress and the President’s signature. The United States must join the rest of the world community in responding to the threat of human cloning," said Cleaver.