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At least two competing anti-cloning bills are expected HYPERLINK "http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20010808/02" \nto be reintroduced shortly after Congress convenes next week. One will ban all forms of human cloning, reproductive and therapeutic. Sponsored by Representative Dave Weldon (R-Fla), the bill (HR 2505 ) HYPERLINK "http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20020307/03/" \npassed the House in July 2001 by a wide margin of 265 to 162. Weldon said he would reintroduce the measure Tuesday, when the 108th Congress convenes. A companion bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate by Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan), HYPERLINK "http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20020619/04/" \nwho supported the measure (S 1899) last session. That legislation stalled last year in the Senate for a variety of reasons, including the realization that neither side could muster the 60 votes needed to enforce cloture. An opposing measure to make human reproductive cloning a felony offense but permitting SCNT for research is also expected to be reintroduced in the Senate. That bill (S 2439) had been introduced last May by Senators Arlen Specter (R-Penn), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif), and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass). Despite the Republicans having majority control of both houses of Congress, the cloning issue cuts across party lines and lobbyists are having a difficult time trying to count votes. Hatch, for instance, is a political conservative but has sided squarely with political liberals on permitting research cloning. A number of liberals concerned about genetic research, however, favor a total ban. A new factor this year is the unexpected ascension of Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to Senate majority leader. Frist, a strong conservative and medical physician, is said to enjoy considerable influence with the President. It is widely believed, for example, that Frist was a prime influence on Bush's HYPERLINK "http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20010925/03/" \nAugust 2001 compromise policy to allow limited federal research on human embryonic stem cells. Frist has not announced his support for either sort of cloning legislation but he has declared opposition to human cloning in general. If Frist seeks middle ground, one possibility could involve a moratorium on all forms of cloning rather than an outright ban. A four-year HYPERLINK "http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20020624/04/" \nmoratorium was endorsed last year by HYPERLINK "http://www.bioethics.gov/" \nThe President's Council on Bioethics, chaired by Leon Kass of the University of Chicago. It also is Senator Brownback's fallback position. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.434 / Virus Database: 243 - Release Date: 12/25/2002 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn