Senate Girds for Historic Debate on Human Embryo Farms.(George W. Bush pro-life)

WASHINGTON (February 5, 2002) -- Two contending alliances of organizations are girding for a historic battle in the U.S. Senate over the issue of cloning human embryos.

At issue is legislation - - already passed by the House, and supported by President Bush - - that would make it a crime to create a cloned human embryo. The powerful biotechnology industry and various research advocacy groups have launched a sophisticated lobbying and public relations campaign to defeat the bill, and the outcome in the Senate is very much in doubt.

"Unless more senators reject the pressure from the biotech industry and research advocacy groups, we may see human embryo farms open up for business in the near future," warned NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson. "Only intense grassroots activity across the nation can counter the pro-cloning lobbying campaign." [See "Congressional Alert," page 24.]

The bill to ban the cloning of human embryos (originally S. 790, now S. 1899) is sponsored by Senator Sam Brownback (R-Ks.). Under pressure from Brownback and other senators who oppose human cloning, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) has reluctantly agreed to allow the Senate to take up the cloning issue in March.

The ban is opposed by Daschle and other senior leaders of the Senate's Democratic majority, including Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chair the Senate committees with primary jurisdiction over medical research.

Starting in January, three different Senate panels have been conducting hearings on cloning, each chaired by pro-cloning Democratic senators and each with a majority of pro-cloning witnesses.

However, the Brownback bill picked up an important supporter on February 5 when Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) added her name as a co-sponsor. Landrieu has a pro-abortion voting record.