James Sensenbrenner, February 27, 2003

Most people know about Dolly, the infamous sheep that was cloned in 1996. It took 277 attempts to clone her, but unfortunately, only a few years for her demise. On February 14, Dolly the sheep was euthanized as a result of complications linked to what some geneticists are speculating were signs of premature aging.

Dolly taught us a valuable lesson. Her case highlights the fact that any attempt to clone a human being would represent experimentation on the resulting child-to-be. In animal experiments conducted so far, there has been a failure rate of over 98 percent. In addition to the fetal deaths and stillborn infants, many of the so-called "successes" (live births) have in fact been failures as they died shortly after birth. Considering that it took 277 stillborn, miscarried, or dead sheep to make one Dolly, do we really want to go through the same process to artificially create a human?

Since Dolly was cloned, we have learned about other "breakthroughs" in the cloning world. In November 2001, researchers at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Massachusetts announced they had cloned the first human embryo. More recently, on December 26, 2002, Clonaid announced the birth of the first cloned human baby, nicknamed "Eve." Although the Clonaid announcement appears to have been a hoax, there are a growing number of individuals who claim they can, and will, clone a human being. In light of these announcements, it has become imperative that Congress, once again, act to prevent the cloning of human embryos.

On February 27, with my strong support, the House passed a Judiciary Committee bill, H.R. 534, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003. H.R. 534 criminalizes the act of cloning humans and importing products derived from cloned humans. It does not impede or prohibit stem cell research. H.R. 534 is a bipartisan bill that is needed and accomplishes what the President has asked for -- a comprehensive ban against cloning humans.

Some have claimed that cloned humans are the key that will unlock the door to medical achievements in the 21st century. Nothing could be further from the truth. These miraculous achievements may be found through stem cell research, but not cloning.

Should human cloning ever prove successful, its potential applications and expected demands would undoubtedly and ultimately lead to a worldwide mass market for human clones. Human clones would be used for medical experimentation, leading to human exploitation under the good name of medicine.

Human cloning is ethically and morally offensive. It contradicts virtually everything America stands for, and diminishes the careful balance of humanity. If we want a society where life is respected, we should take whatever steps are necessary to prohibit human cloning.

H.R. 534 sends the message that cloning research on human DNA molecules, cells, tissues, organs or animals, are permitted, but the creation of cloned human embryos, is not. The House passed a similar bill in the last session of Congress, but the then Democratic-controlled Senate did not. This time around, I hope to see the President sign a bill that will allow scientific research to continue, yet at the same time, preserve the integrity of mankind.

James Sensenbrenner, Jr., is a Republican Member of Congress representing the Fifth Congressional District of Wisconsin.