Zoe Lofgren: “it is worth reading the bill that is before us today. If we do read the bill, as I have and the other members of the…”

“it is worth reading the bill that is before us today. If we do read the bill, as I have and the other members of the Committee on the Judiciary, we will see that the bill outlaws somatic cell nuclear transfer. It makes it a felony with a 10-year sentence. If we read further in the bill, there is a ban and also a felony remedy for those who ship or receive any products that are derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer. Now, what does this mean? This means that scientists in labs around the country who are doing research and who may have cultures of cells that are products of somatic cell nuclear transfer will soon become felons in their labs if they ship or send these cells to colleagues in the scientific world. Further, under the bill, it is illegal, it is a crime, to accept a cure that is developed outside the United States if a cure for a disease is the product of somatic cell nuclear transfer. Now, that is a very realistic possibility. Just last month, this month, the head of stem cell research at the University of California in San Francisco announced that he was leaving the United States because he could not do his research in the United States. He is moving to England. When he joins other scientists in England, there is quite a good chance that they will come up with cures for horrible diseases that are suffered throughout the world, including America. If we pass this bill, we are saying Americans are not allowed to get those cures.”