The United States Senate is currently battling between two different cloning bills. The bill proposed by Senator Dianne Feinstein would ban reproductive cloning - cloning that would produce viable human babies - but would allow the production of human embryos for stem cell research. Senator Sam Brownback's bill, similar to the bill passed by the House last year, would absolutely outlaw any cloning research that destroys human embryos.
Those in favor of Feinstein's bill argue that the embryos for stem cell research would be unfertilized embryos created through a technology called somatic cell nuclear transfer, and would have had genetic material removed. They reason that these embryos do not constitute true human life. Stem cells are capable of turning into any kind of cell in the body, and according to Carl Feldbaum, president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, "cellular and tissue transplants that could emerge from this technology could benefit tens of millions of Americans who suffer from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, diabetes, cancer, spinal cord injuries, stroke, and heart disease."
Many in favor of Feinstein's bill, like actor Christopher Reeve, believe that the rejection of embryonic cloning is simply a fear of new science, and are concerned that if cloning is banned, the research will go underground where it will be unregulated and uncontrolled.
However, supporters of Brownback's bill oppose human cloning of any sort. They argue that creating embryos only to destroy them constitutes murder, and point to the other possibilities of using adult stem cells and existing stem cell lines as alternative venues for therapy research. Adult stem cells, found in bone marrow and other tissues, can be used for the therapies on those suffering from the ailments listed by Carl Feldbaum - without the ethical problems posed by embryonic stem cell research.
Some are also concerned about where the research on embryos could lead as technology and public opinion allow. They worry that while the research may start first with six-celled embryos, it could eventually expand into reproductive cloning that implants women with cloned embryos.
While many debates in the Senate are drawn between the left and the right, this battle is not. Senator Mary Landrieu from Louisiana, a Democrat, insisted that "the human body is not a commodity to be mass-produced and stripped for its parts." At the same time, conservative Republican Orrin Hatch of Utah has said that he is not against 'therapeutic cloning' if it will help children suffering from serious diseases.
Several senators, such as those in Georgia and North Dakota, are still undecided on the issue.
Related Links:
• Senate Hearing Adds Heat to Cloning Debate - Miami.com