Dianne Feinstein: “Let me move for a moment to think tanks. I must say, Mr. President, that one of the most interesting letters to me is…”

“Let me move for a moment to think tanks. I must say, Mr. President, that one of the most interesting letters to me is one from the CATO Institute, dated February 6. They attach to their letter a very interesting article from Science magazine which really casts major doubts on the conclusions drawn from the Dolly experiment. The letter says that the new information indicates that there is no need to rush legislation, and it can be accorded the time and deliberation appropriate to legislate that can have a lasting impact on biological research in this country. The article from Science magazine questions whether Dolly originated from adult cell DNA. Interesting. And it suggests that she might have resulted from the cloning of an embryonic cell. ``Scientists have cloned embryonic cells for years, and those activities have raised no public concern. The last sentence in the first paragraph of the Science news article sums up the significance of the new information. If Dolly isn't the product of DNA from a mature cell, `it would mean that human cloning, which for most conceivable purposes would start with adult cells, is not the immediate threat some worry about.' '' And CATO goes on and says: With this new information in hand, there appears to be no need to rush legislation, and at a minimum there is ample time for hearings with knowledgeable and respected scientists, ethicists, theologians, and others testifying about the proposed legislation and its ramifications.”