Ken Calvert: “as I rise today, we are perhaps days away from an announcement of the completion of a draft map of the entire human…”

“as I rise today, we are perhaps days away from an announcement of the completion of a draft map of the entire human genome. This is a major milestone in biological science, an achievement that some have likened to the Moon landing and the invention of movable type. My subcommittee has held two hearings on the status of the human genome project involving both the public and private sector. Three themes have emerged from these hearings: First, the medical breakthroughs stemming from this research will be immense; Second, the competition and cooperation between the public and private sector has brought us to this moment and will deliver results for us all; Third, Congress' duties in areas such as ethical, legal, and social implications of genetics research, as well as the need to fund gene-based disease therapies, will require us to think wisely and legislate prudently. I commend the public and private sector researchers for achieving this scientific milestone. Truly, a bright future beckons.”