Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, Congress, I hope, will soon ban the drilling for oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. In the very same week, are we really ready to license industry so it can proceed with the manufacture of cloned human embryos? Do human embryos count less than the pristine wilderness of Alaska, or do they at least have a common claim to protection under law from exploitation and destruction? We ban the hunting of bald eagles. Communities ban open-air burning. We have banned chlorofluorocarbons. We ban PCBs. Congress voted to ban drilling in the Great Lakes. A ban on human cloning is a transcendent issue which requires no less vigilance. The question remains, are we ready to stand up to the corporations, which have their eye on human embryos as the next natural resource to exploit? I believe that we are up to this challenge. I know my colleagues believe that government has to draw a line; that the unfettered marketplace has neither morals nor responsibility nor accountability when it comes to cloning of human embryos; and that at this moment, we have an opportunity for the future of this country and for the destiny of our society to take a strong stand to protect human dignity and human uniqueness by banning embryonic human cloning. I say support the Weldon amendment, the Weldon bill.”