Christopher Shays: “in our rush to ban human reproductive cloning, we are at risk of also banning the most promising and exciting area of…”

“in our rush to ban human reproductive cloning, we are at risk of also banning the most promising and exciting area of biomedical research in the past thirty years. If passed into law, the overly-broad Human Cloning Prohibition Act would ban not only human cloning but also a laboratory technique that may enable scientists to understand the genetic causes of diseases such as cancer and develop therapies for diseases and disabilities such as diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, and spinal cord injuries. No responsible person, patient advocate or scientist supports the cloning of human beings. Human reproductive cloning is unethical, should be prohibited, and should be punishable under federal law. But in banning human cloning, we should not ban a laboratory technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer, which can be used to derive human embryonic stem cells. With such stem cells, our scientists will gain fundamental insights into cell biology that will lead to new treatments and cures for a host of diseases and disabilities. Prohibiting this basic scientific technique will severely hinder U.S. research. Our scientists have achieved an unparalleled record of accomplishment by employing new technologies to benefit humankind. New innovations in scientific discovery have historically been controversial, but they have proven to save lives and help manage devastating diseases.”