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U.S. Congress, Bush Move Toward Banning Cloning
Scientists called human cloning ethically risky and likely to produce deformed babies, even as researchers who plan to move forward defended their plans Wednesday before a congressional panel. The White House said President Bush would sign a federal law outlawing such research.
Members of Congress appeared eager to send him the legislation, saying that even if the scientific and safety issues could be overcome, ethical issues remain.
Clones are created when the genetic material from a single cell is injected into an egg cell that has had its genes removed. The resulting baby is like an identical twin born years later.
While mainstream scientists are unanimously opposed to human cloning, at least for now, two groups of scientists have promised to move ahead within the next year or two.
They defended their plans before the Commerce oversight subcommittee, likening their work to early efforts at invitro fertilization. Cloning, they said, can help infertile couples who want a biologically-related child.
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