Sam Brownback: “I would just note once more for my colleagues that the area of genetic manipulation, germline therapy, is regulated in…”

“I would just note once more for my colleagues that the area of genetic manipulation, germline therapy, is regulated in animals and in plants but is completely unregulated--there is nothing on it--in humans. Is that a responsible way for us to go? There is nothing on it. If we want to do it right now on the human species in the United States, go ahead, fine. If you want to do that, release that into us, into the human species, fine, go ahead. If you want to do it in fish, we have a series of hoops that you have to jump through and filings that you have to make and limitations on where this can take place all up and down, everywhere. But for humans, fine. I guess if we are going to eat it, we are concerned about it. But if it is one of us, OK. I have deep respect for the Senator from Massachusetts. He is very thoughtful and one of the most productive Members of this body, probably in the history of this body. But I would really seriously ask him to look at this area. Is this something we want to do in this society? This is not only technically or theoretically feasible today; it can be done today. It has been done in the animal line for years now. This has been going on for 10 years-plus, 15 years in animals. The genetic lineup in animals versus humans is not that much different. Totally unregulated, no limitations--go ahead and do it in humans, not in cattle.”