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Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 108 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

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Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 108 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 149 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 No. 32 House of Representatives The House met at 1 p.m. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT port the bill to the House with such amend- The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. ments as may have been adopted. The pre- A message in writing from the Presi- vious question shall be considered as ordered Coughlin, offered the following prayer: dent of the United States was commu- Eternal Father of all, You teach by on the bill and amendments thereto to final nicated to the House by Ms. Wanda passage without intervening motion except touching human hearts, which is far Evans, one of his secretaries. one motion to recommit with or without in- beyond simply changing minds or form- structions. f ing new language. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. By converting deepest desires, You ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER SWEENEY). The gentlewoman from shape priorities of true concern and PRO TEMPORE North Carolina (Mrs. MYRICK) is recog- focus attention on lasting ideas that The SPEAKER. One-minute requests nized for 1 hour. have penetrating consequences. will be at the end of business today. Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for the Your presence in our midst is mani- purpose of debate only, I yield the cus- fested by marvelous deeds which con- f tomary 30 minutes to the gentleman sume debatable words. HUMAN CLONING PROHIBITION from Massachusetts (Mr. MCGOVERN), Send now Your spirit upon the Mem- ACT OF 2003 pending which I yield myself such time bers of the House of Representatives, Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direc- as I may consume. During consider- that they may see beyond present di- ation of this resolution, all time yield- lemmas and know in their hearts what tion of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 105 and ask for its ed is for the purpose of debate only. is the right course for our future as a On Wednesday, the Committee on immediate consideration. Nation in this world community. Re- Rules met and granted a structured The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- move the clouds of fear and confusion. rule for H.R. 534, the Human Cloning lows: Instead, by Your spirit guide all to Prohibition Act. As an original cospon- right judgment. H. RES. 105 sor of this legislation, I am very And may Your people discover an Resolved, That at any time after the adop- pleased to see it is one of the first top inner freedom which confirms their de- tion of this resolution the Speaker may, pur- priorities of the House of Representa- cisions and provides a joy in serving suant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the tives. You, now and forever. Amen. House resolved into the Committee of the Mr. Speaker, this is a fair rule which Whole House on the state of the Union for will permit a thorough discussion of all f consideration of the bill (H.R. 534) to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit of the relevant issues. The first of these issues is the Greenwood sub- THE JOURNAL human cloning. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order stitute which allows human cloning for The SPEAKER. The Chair has exam- against consideration of the bill are waived. medical purposes. ined the Journal of the last day’s pro- General debate shall be confined to the bill I personally oppose the Greenwood ceedings and announces to the House and shall not exceed one hour equally di- amendment because it is wrong to cre- his approval thereof. vided and controlled by the chairman and ate human embryo farms, even for sci- Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- ranking minority member of the Committee entific research. nal stands approved. on the Judiciary. After general debate the Research cloning would contradict bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. The bill shall be consid- the most fundamental principle of f ered as read. No amendment shall be in order medical ethics, that no human life except those printed in the report of the should be exploited or extinguished for PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Committee on Rules accompanying this res- the benefit of another. Anything other The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman olution. Each amendment may be offered than a total ban on human cloning from Illinois (Mr. SHIMKUS) come for- only in the order printed in the report, may would be virtually impossible to en- ward and lead the House in the Pledge be offered only by a Member designated in force. of Allegiance. the report, shall be considered as read, shall I understand there is no way to con- be debatable for the time specified in the re- trol actual implementation of these Mr. SHIMKUS led the Pledge of Alle- port equally divided and controlled by the giance as follows: proponent and an opponent, and shall not be fetuses into a woman’s uterus, so I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the subject to amendment. All points of order cloning of children could still happen. United States of America, and to the Repub- against such amendments are waived. At the The Justice Department submitted lic for which it stands, one nation under God, conclusion of consideration of the bill for testimony explaining that once count- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. amendment the Committee shall rise and re- less human embryos are created by b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H1397 . VerDate Jan 31 2003 23:40 Feb 28, 2003 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A27FE7.000 H27PT1 H1398 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 27, 2003 cloning, there would be no practical being; rather, it is about outlawing heimer’s disease. This research may way to enforce the prohibition on cutting-edge research that could one hold the key to treating or even curing transferring such embryos into wombs. day save and improve lives. that disease. But if this bill is endorsed The Committee on Rules, though, The bill we are considering today, today, it would deny the Reagans and recognizes that the gentleman from the so-called Human Cloning Prohibi- millions of other families any benefit Pennsylvania’s proposal is the leading tion Act of 2003, will jail scientists for from this research. Mrs. Reagan’s alternative to the ban on cloning. And conducting therapeutic research. This views should be heard by this body, and because we are aiming for a fair and bill, if enacted, will close the door to I will read her letter of support into thorough debate, we should make it in important research that one day could the RECORD, a letter she sent to the order on the House floor. result in treatments or cures for such other Chamber. I want to read it so Human cloning is a deeply troubling diseases as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, that my colleagues can hear her elo- issue to me and to most Americans. and diabetes. If a drug or treatment for quent words. Life is a creation, not a commodity. diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkin- b 1315 I also agreed with President Bush son’s is developed in another country She writes, ‘‘As you may know, Ron- when he said that science has set be- using therapeutic cloning, that treat- nie will observe his 92nd birthday soon. fore us decisions of immense con- ment will not be available to patients In earlier times, we would have been sequence. We can pursue medical re- in the United States. Think about it. able to celebrate that day with great search with a clear sense of moral pur- This bill would actually deny Ameri- joy and wonderful memories of our life pose, or we can travel without an eth- cans treatments for debilitating dis- together. Now, while I can draw ical compass into a world we could live eases. That strikes me as not only strength from these memories, I do it to regret. wrong, but cruel. alone, as Ronnie struggles in a world Science now presses forward with It is important to make clear that we unknown to me or the scientists who this issue of human cloning. How we are not debating whether or not Fed- devote their life to Alzheimer’s re- answer the issue of human cloning will eral funds can be used for stem cell re- search. Because of this, I am deter- place us on one path or the other. search. The President made that deci- mined to do what I can to save other I spent a lot of time considering this sion in 2001. Based on that decision, a families from this pain. I am writing, issue because it is so complex, and I private company can conduct stem cell therefore, to offer my support for stem have decided to once again vote to ban research if it uses its own funds, or cell research and to tell you I’m in human cloning. It is simply wrong to companies can conduct stem cell re- favor of new legislation to allow the clone human beings. search with Federal funds if they fol- ethical use of therapeutic cloning.
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