July 30, 2001

President Bush supports a ban

President Bush supports a ban on human cloning. In a statement, the administration said, "The administration unequivocally is opposed to the cloning of human beings either for reproduction or for research. The moral and ethical issues posed by human cloning are profound and cannot be ignored in the quest for scientific discovery." It also said, "The administration would strongly oppose any substitute amendment ... which would permit human embryos to be created and developed solely for research purposes."

Although he supports a ban on human cloning, no mention is made of embryonic stem cell research. The policy statement could easily be applied to defend a ban on federal funding for such research. The debate over using human embryos as medical slaves also involve "moral and ethical issues" that "are profound and cannot be ignored in the quest for scientific discovery." Following the logic of the statement, embryonic stem cell research should be banned because it would "permit human embryos to be created and developed solely for research purposes."

If President Bush comes out in support for embryonic stem cell research, he will have a tough time squaring that circle.

"Bush Supports Ban on Human Cloning"