House bans clones, Senate to consider

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The House late Thursday approved a ban on all forms of human cloning, setting up a Senate debate on what would be appropriate research. Proponents of a total ban admit they lack the Senate votes to completely outlaw the practice.

Although widespread consensus in both chambers supports a ban on cloning human beings to be brought to term through pregnancy, opinions considerably differ as to whether scientific research that multiplies human embryo cells in a science lab actually composes research on human life itself, or merely human tissue.

The issue is an emotional one for many political segments that consider it a moral question, or a proxy debate on the start of life itself, which could have implications in the abortion debate.

In a repeat of Thursday's 241-155 vote, the House last year unilaterally banned all cloning research, but the matter never received a vote in the Senate. The then-Democratic controlled Senate declined to take up the measure last session, but the now GOP-controlled Senate is likely to allow the issue to the floor for a vote.

The new Senate Majority Leader -- Bill Frist, R-Tenn. -- has been a high profile authority on medical and stem cell research in previous debates, although his precise view on cloning is unknown, outside of supporting a ban on cloning humans for pregnancy. Frist is an occasionally practicing heart surgeon.

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., has introduced a bill to ban all kinds of cloning, whereas California Democrat Dianne Feinstein supports limited medical research and will likely offer an amendment when debate begins. Frist has not indicated when he will bring the issue to the floor.

Several religious groups -- and anti-abortion activists -- along with many politicians from both parties argue that any dividing clump of cells is a human life that should remain free of scientific experimentation. Proponents of some cloning research argue that such experiments can produce "stem cells" that can regenerate in any part of the body and could hold the key to solving a multitude of diseases and conditions.

No one has successfully cloned a human being yet -- although the Raelian movement and its company Clonaid claim have done so twice without offering any evidence -- although some companies have managed to split clumps of cells in lab settings.

However, a variety of farm animals have been cloned and experts contend the possibility of a successful human cloning is not far off.

Florida Republican Rep. Dave Weldon introduced the all-out ban on cloning, while Rep. Jim Greenwood, R-Penn., offered an alternative that bars cloning for purposes of pregnancy.