Washington — The loudest cheers for President Bush at an anti-abortion rally Tuesday came when he stated his opposition to all human cloning, signaling the issue's rapid emergence as a top priority for abortion opponents this election campaign.
The March for Life rally marked the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion in 1973. The cloning debate is much newer, beginning in earnest only after Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1996.
The only known effort so far to clone a human being produced only a few cells that survived only six days. Since a Massachusetts company disclosed that research result last November, abortion opponents have warned of the imminent cloning of living humans. Many activists against abortion see cloning as a moral issue that needs immediate attention and as a political opportunity to weaken abortion laws.
"Along with many of the pro-life battles we will face in Congress this year, I am particularly hopeful that this year we will pass a permanent ban on all forms of human cloning in the United States," Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., said at the rally.
Many scientists believe cloned human embryos could provide a stock of stem cells, which are embryonic cells that can develop into any type of cell in the body.
They hope that stem cells someday will be used to replace or repair cells or tissues damaged or destroyed by disease or disability.
Brownback is sponsoring a bill to ban all human cloning. The bill, to be introduced during the congressional session that begins today, is similar to one sponsored by Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., that passed the House of Representatives with presidential support last July.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., promises floor debate on cloning in February or March. Some Senators favor a less stringent ban that would outlaw cloned fetuses but allow limited cloning for medical research.
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.