Zoe Lofgren: “this bill bans human cloning. Almost all of us agree with that. The problem is, the bill does much more. It makes…”

“this bill bans human cloning. Almost all of us agree with that. The problem is, the bill does much more. It makes cutting-edge science a crime. It would make somatic cell nuclear transfer a felony. An egg is stripped of its 23 chromosomes, 46 chromosomes are taken from the cell, say, of a piece of skin, and inserted into the egg. In 2 weeks, there is a clump of cells, undifferentiated, without organs, internal structures, nerves. Each of these cells may grow into any kind of cell, to cure cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, even spinal cord injuries. Use of one's own DNA for the curing cells avoids the danger of rejection. Just last week, as reported at the annual meeting at the Society for Neuroscience in New Orleans, stem cells derived from somatic nuclear transfer technology were used with primates, paralyzed monkeys. Astonishingly, the monkeys were able to regain some movement. For paraplegics, this is a bright ray of hope. Since when did outlawing research to cure awful diseases become the morally correct position? I believe that scientific research to save lives and ease suffering is highly moral and ethical and right. Some disagree and oppose this science. Well, they have the right to disagree, but nobody will force them to accept the cures that science may yield. If your religious beliefs will not let you accept a cure for your child's cancer, so be it. But do not expect the rest of America to let their loved ones suffer without cure.”