NewsHour Backgrounders
January 8, 1998
Dr. Richard Seed announced he will go ahead with human cloning experiments.
December 29, 1997
A year-end report on remarkable changes in
reproductive technology.
March 5, 1997
First a sheep was cloned, then a monkey, but if President
Clinton has his way a human isn't next.
February 24, 1997:
Elizabeth Farnsworth leads a discussion of the science that lead to Dolly, the Scottish sheep cloned from another.
February 24, 1997:
Jim Lehrer discusses the ethics of cloning with a panel of bioethicists.
February 24, 1997:
A NewsHour background report on Dolly and cloning.
Browse the NewsHour's coverage of science
OUTSIDE
LINKS:
Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland report on cloning sheep.
The Genetics and Public Issues Program at The National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR) discusses cloning.
Discussion of Ethics and Social Issues in Gene Research at the Human Genome Project.
University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics
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The Online NewsHour asks:
President Clinton has banned federally-funded cloning experiments, and the
Food and Drug Administration had said it already has the legal authority to
ban cloning experiments. Why is additional legislation necessary?
Sen. Dianne Feinstein responds:
I believe Congress has a role and responsibility to draft prudent and
judicious legislation that bans the cloning of human beings.
President Clinton's federal funding ban, needless to say, does not
apply to privately funded experiments. The FDA's ban, while welcome,
may not be sufficient. The FDA can process certain applications, but
they cannot ban a procedure. Furthermore, absent Congressional action
to settle this matter, FDA regulations can change. Finally, the FDA
has told me that they believe that federal legislation is appropriate.
Prof. Alta Charo responds:
If FDA exerts its authority by way of its jurisdiction over biologics, then
additional legislation may not be necessary. The NBAC [the National Bioethics Advisory Committee] recommendations for
legislation that temporarily banned cloning were premised on (1) the
perception that FDA's authority did not easily extend this far; and (2) the
belief that the private sector, which operates beyond the effects of
restrictions on federal funding, needed to be brought within the ambit of
the moratorium.
Sen. Kit Bond responds:
The trouble with administration regulation is that it can change
quickly, particularly if there is a change is administration, or even
in personnel administering an agency. I believe this is an issue that
is important enough for the elected representatives of the American
people to weigh in on. We need an act of Congress prohibiting human
cloning, not just regulation.
Next questions...
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