SENATE—Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

SENATE—Tuesday, May 24, 2005 May 24, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 151, Pt. 8 10915 SENATE—Tuesday, May 24, 2005 The Senate met at 9:45 a.m. and was RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY what the Democratic leader or I asked called to order by the Honorable LISA LEADER for—it is important that we see how it MURKOWSKI, a Senator from the State The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- is going to be implemented, and the of Alaska. pore. The majority leader is recog- first step will be that vote today. nized. We do have a lot to do this week. I PRAYER want to keep things organized effi- f The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- ciently and well and use time wisely. fered the following prayer: SCHEDULE Mr. REID. Madam President, if I could direct another question to the Let us pray. Mr. FRIST. Madam President, this distinguished leader, it was my under- Eternal spirit, You have said that the morning we will continue debate in ex- standing of our conversation late last truth will set us free. We thank You ecutive session on the nomination of night that we were not going to move that Your freedom leads to harmony Priscilla Owen to be a U.S. Circuit forward on more judges this period but and not discord, to consensus and not judge for the Fifth Circuit, and today move forward to other matters. Do you conflict. Liberate us from deceptions at noon we will have a cloture vote now feel differently? and distortions that caricature reality with respect to the Owen nomination. Mr. FRIST. Well, I think we need to and misrepresent facts. In light of the events of yesterday, I think how much we can do realistically Empower our Senators to find free- expect cloture will be invoked this this week. With that understanding dom in being as true to duty as the afternoon. If that cloture vote is suc- and the backlog we have on judges, if needle to the pole. Continue to teach cessful, it is my desire to proceed expe- we can move those expeditiously—and them the fine art of conciliation and ditiously to vote on that confirmation. we put in a plan or process to do so— motivate them to continue to choose Members have had the opportunity to we should do just that. We have had rational roads instead of emotional speak for over 40 hours, and hopefully various offers from your side of the dead ends. Lift them above partisan we will not need much time following aisle on the Michigan judges and on rancor, and give them power to walk in cloture. Griffith, and now we have this memo- Your light, to act in Your strength, to I am happy to yield to the Demo- randum of understanding for up-or- think in Your wisdom, to speak in cratic leader. I have a brief statement down votes on three other nominees we Your truth, and to live in Your love. commenting on the events of last have been debating. Leadership to lead- Inspire each of us to stand for right, night. even though the heavens fall. ership, we ought to sit down and plan f how we can deal with judges since we We pray in the Name of Him who is have waited a long time for these up- the truth. Amen. RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER or-down votes and since offers have been made back and forth. In light of f The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- the understanding the 14 Senators pore. The Democratic leader is recog- came to, I think we should move expe- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE nized. ditiously and address the judges who The Honorable LISA MURKOWSKI led f have been waiting a long time. At the same time, we have other very impor- the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: CLOTURE VOTE I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the tant business—John Bolton to be Am- United States of America, and to the Repub- Mr. REID. Madam President, I think bassador to the U.N.—which we do need lic for which it stands, one Nation under it would be better—I haven’t had a to address as well. God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for chance to discuss this with the major- As I say that, I want to make an ap- all. ity leader—to vitiate the vote on clo- peal to Senators. A lot has been said ture and then set a time to complete about many of the judges, and I don’t f the debate on Priscilla Owen. We would believe we have to say it again. Wheth- be willing to do that. It would move er it is on Priscilla Owen, who I am APPOINTMENT OF ACTING things along. I wanted the leader to confident will get an up-or-down vote, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE know that. We would be happy to talk or on to some of the other judges, I about schedule, how much time people want to make sure everything gets The PRESIDING OFFICER. The need, and what we are going to do the said. But on a lot of these, we have had clerk will please read a communication rest of the week. We haven’t had time a lot of debate. I would like to sit down to the Senate from the President pro to talk this morning. with the Democratic leader, in light of tempore (Mr. STEVENS). Mr. FRIST. Madam President, we the events of yesterday, and plan out The legislative clerk read the fol- will talk over the course of the morn- this week so it will be productive. We lowing letter: ing because over the next 5 days, with have a lot of other important business, U.S. SENATE, the memorandum of understanding, we such as an energy bill and a highway PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, would like to move ahead and address bill, that we need to also address. Washington, DC, May 24, 2005. many of the judges. At the same time, To the Senate: f we have the nomination of John Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, Bolton, whom the Democratic leader THE MEMORANDUM OF of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby UNDERSTANDING appoint the Honorable LISA MURKOWSKI, a and I have briefly discussed. I do want Senator from the State of Alaska, to perform to be able to continue with the cloture Mr. FRIST. Madam President, I wish the duties of the Chair. vote that is now on the schedule for to briefly comment on the events of TED STEVENS, noon today. It is important to do so in last night. The evening moved very President pro tempore. part because of the events of yesterday, quickly, and it did alter the course of Ms. MURKOWSKI thereupon assumed and I want to follow regular order. what likely would have occurred over the Chair as Acting President pro tem- With that memorandum of under- the course of today. Certain adjust- pore. standing, which is important—it is not ments will be made and are being ● This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:05 Jan 25, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\FDSYS\2005BOUNDRECORD\BOOK8\NO_SSN\BR24MY05.DAT BR24MY05 10916 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 151, Pt. 8 May 24, 2005 made, as we just heard in the colloquy circumstances are defined as they were of the week’s process, Janice Rogers between the Democratic leader and I, in the last Congress, which I believe is Brown, and William Pryor. I will work in terms of the schedule. Although I wrong, on people such as Miguel with the minority leader in terms of am not a party of the memorandum of Estrada, who came to this country as the best timing. I will work with the understanding signed last night by 14 an immigrant from Honduras, not able Judiciary Committee as well and other of our colleagues, I have had the oppor- to speak English very well, who with Senators to move forward expedi- tunity to further review that agree- hard work worked his way to the top of tiously on other nominees. ment in more detail. his profession, arguing 15 cases in the We have had discussions and offers I do believe the memorandum of un- Supreme Court, if that is extraordinary from the other side to move ahead with derstanding makes modest progress in circumstances, then this agreement Tom Griffith, which I hope we can do that three individuals will get up-or- will mean very little. We have to wait shortly; offers on the Sixth Circuit down votes on the floor of the Senate. and see. The agreement will have to be nominees David McKeague, Susan Neil- To me, it does stop far short of guaran- monitored. The implementation of the son, and Robert Griffin, all of whom de- teeing judicial nominees the fair up-or- memorandum of understanding is crit- serve a vote on the floor of the Senate, down votes they deserve—other nomi- ical. an up-or-down vote. So all this has nees, nominees in the future. Third, let me be clear: The constitu- been a very significant, substantial de- I say that and recognize that with ci- tional option remains on the table. It bate. vility and trust, which are two values I remains an option. I will not hesitate I believe the injustice of judicial ob- have tried to stress again and again, to use it if necessary.
Recommended publications
  • Third Branch Conference
    THIRD BRANCH CONFERENCE June 13, 2006 The Honorable Ted Stevens The Honorable William H. Frist, M.D. The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Rick Santorum The Honorable Jon Kyl The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison The Honorable Elizabeth Dole and copied to all Majority Senators. United States Senate U.S. Capitol Washington, DC Re: Stewarding the Third Branch Dear Senators: As the representatives of millions of Americans who support you in elections, we write to ask you to devote more effort on and off the Senate floor to confirming the President’s circuit court nominees. We write to remind you of your duty, but also because we are concerned that if the Majority that assured the confirmation votes of Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito lose just one seat in the next election, the future of the Supreme Court and the federal appellate bench will again be imperiled by use of filibusters. We write because we fear that the Majority is ignoring the impact of the nominations debate on its ability to gain the support of those small margins of voters that the Majority needs to secure unobstructed confirmations. By contrast, and for example, you are planning to devote valuable Senate floor time to debating a flag-desecration constitutional amendment. While most of us would support such an amendment, we believe this is a misguided use of time. In a survey, 150 conservative opinion and grassroot organization leaders, all with nationally or state recognized names, were asked to rate the flag-burning amendment as a priority before November on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being high in importance and 1 being low.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 110 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
    E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 154 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2008 No. 152 Senate (Legislative day of Wednesday, September 17, 2008) The Senate met at 9:30 a.m., on the U.S. SENATE, Treasury and the Chairman of the Fed expiration of the recess, and was called PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, will be over in the House around 2 to order by the Honorable BENJAMIN L. Washington, DC, September 24, 2008. o’clock this afternoon. Democrats are To the Senate: CARDIN, a Senator from the State of holding a caucus at 4:30 p.m. to talk Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, Maryland. of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby about this issue. The Secretary is com- appoint the Honorable BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, ing to that caucus at 5 o’clock. PRAYER a Senator from the State of Maryland, to I hope we can make more progress. The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- perform the duties of the Chair. We have not only the Jewish holidays fered the following prayer: ROBERT C. BYRD, coming up next week, but a very im- Let us pray. President pro tempore. portant event is this Friday. I was told Gracious, loving God, let Your light, Mr. CARDIN thereupon assumed the and heard on the radio this morning Your wisdom, Your righteousness, and chair as Acting President pro tempore. that as much as 85 percent of the Your love fill our minds and hearts f American people will watch the debate this Friday.
    [Show full text]
  • Allotransplantation, from Dream to Realty
    allotransplantation, froM dreaM to realtY DENYS MONTANDON, MD Switzerland In the vegetal world, grafting can be defined as the natural or deliberate fusion Later, St. John obtained by praying his cut hand, touched it to his wrist and of plant parts so that vascular continuity is established between them, and kneeled in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary. After a long prayer, he felt thus the resulting genetically composite organism functions as a single plant. asleep and dreamed of the Virgin Mary who Vegetal grafts have been performed since antiquity, particularly around the told him “Your hand is healed because you Mediterranean Basin. No wonder, the idea of grafting a portion of tissue, an wrote in defense of God.” When St. John organ or a limb from one individual to another has been a conscious or an awoke, he saw his cured hand and to express unconscious dream for centuries. We are speaking here not only of implanting his gratitude to the Virgin Mary he ordered a foreign body in a living creature, but to graft living material which will be to put on the icon a silver copy of the cut re-vascularized so as to become an integral part of the recipient host. hand. That’s why the icon is called the Three Handed Virgin. (Fig. 3) myThS ANd mIrACleS Hybrid monsters made of different ANeCdoTeS animal or human parts are not rare in During the Renaissance, the possibility of the myths of several civilizations. One reconstructing a nose with the person’s of the best known in Greek mythology own flesh, as initiated by the Branca family is the Centaur Chiron who had the in Catania (Sicily), and later described and Figure3 - Three Hands Icon of Virgin head and torso of a man and the illustrated in detail by Gaspare Tagliacozzi Mary body of a horse (Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 151, Pt. 8 May 24, 2005 and So out Into the Road the Three the Two Older Villains Did As They Had Mr
    May 24, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 151, Pt. 8 10929 Leahy Obama Snowe state, to calm the dangerous seas vice, but here it is. And by considering Lieberman Pryor Specter Lott Reid Stevens which, from time to time, threaten to that advice, it only stands to reason Lugar Roberts Sununu dash our Republic against rocky shoals that any President will be more as- Martinez Rockefeller Talent and jagged shores. sured that his nominees will enjoy a McCain Salazar Thomas The Senate proved it to be true again kinder reception in the Senate. McConnell Santorum Thune Mikulski Schumer Vitter yesterday, when 14 Members—from The agreement, which references the Murkowski Sessions Voinovich both sides of the aisle, Republicans and need for ‘‘advice and consent,’’ as con- Nelson (FL) Shelby Warner Democrats; 14 Members—of this re- tained in the Constitution, proves once Nelson (NE) Smith (OR) Wyden vered institution came together to again, as has been true for over 200 NAYS—18 avert the disaster referred to as the years, that our revered Constitution is Biden Dorgan Levin ‘‘nuclear option’’ or the ‘‘constitu- not simply a dry piece of parchment. It Boxer Feingold Lincoln tional option’’—these men and women is a living document. Cantwell Jeffords Murray of great courage. Yesterday’s agreement was a real-life Corzine Kennedy Reed illustration of how this historical docu- Dayton Kerry Sarbanes As William Gladstone said, in refer- Dodd Lautenberg Stabenow ring to the Senate of the United ment continues to be vital in our daily lives. It inspires, it teaches, and yester- NOT VOTING—1 States, the Senate is that remarkable body, the most remarkable day it helped the country and the Sen- Inouye of all the inventions of modern politics.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
    E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 150 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2004 No. 103 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was APPOINTMENT OF ACTING vote on Richard Griffin and then David called to order by the Honorable SAXBY PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE McKeague. Therefore, Senators can ex- CHAMBLISS, a Senator from the State of The PRESIDING OFFICER. The pect the first votes of the day around Georgia. clerk will please read a communication 11 o’clock this morning. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today’s to the Senate from the President pro Also we will turn to consideration of prayer will be offered by our guest tempore (Mr. STEVENS). the defense appropriations conference Chaplain, Pastor Gene Arey, New Har- The legislative clerk read the fol- report when it arrives from the House. vest Worship Center, Waynesboro, VA. lowing letter: We will be monitoring their action on that bill so that we can determine U.S. SENATE, PRAYER PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, when we may begin debate on that bill The guest Chaplain offered the fol- Washington, DC, July 22, 2004. this afternoon. lowing prayer: To the Senate: I don’t believe there is a need for a Let us pray. Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, great deal of debate on the defense of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby Father God, I come to You today on measure; however, we will confer with appoint the Honorable SAXBY CHAMBLISS, a the Democratic leadership on a time behalf of the Senators of the United Senator from the State of Georgia, to per- States of America and the people they agreement for this afternoon.
    [Show full text]
  • HARBIN. NOVEMBER 2017. Sergio
    POWER OVER LIFE AND DEATH Natalie Köhle ARBIN. NOVEMBER 2017. Sergio NESS is NOT in the BRAIN, which seeks HCanavero and Ren Xiaoping 任晓 to prove the existence of an eternal 平 announced that the world’s first hu- soul on the basis of near death experi- man head transplant was ‘imminent’. ence, as well as two guides on seducing They had just completed an eight- women. He also drops flippant refer- een-hour rehearsal on two human ca- ences to Stalin or the Nazi doctor Josef davers, and now claimed to be ready Mengele. for the real deal: the transplant of a human head from a living person with a degenerative disease onto a healthy, but brain-dead, donor body.1 Ren — a US-educated Chinese orthopaedic surgeon, was part of the team that performed the first hand transplant in Louisville in 1999. Canavero, an Italian, and former neu- rosurgeon at the university of Turin, is the more controversial, maverick per- sona of the team. In addition to many respected scientific publications, he Frankenstein’s Monster from The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) published Immortal: Why CONSCIOUS- Source: Commons Wikimedia 276 tor function and sensation. It would 277 also depend on the unproven capacity of the human brain to adjust to — and gain control over — a new body and a new nervous system without suffering debilitating pain or going mad.2 So far, Ren and Canavero have Sergio Canavero transplanted the heads of numerous Source: 诗凯 陆, Flickr lab mice and one monkey, and they Ren and Canavero see the head have also severed and subsequently Power over Life and Death Natalie Köhle transplant, formally known as cepha- mended the spinal cords of several POWER losomatic anastomosis, as the logical dogs.
    [Show full text]
  • The Interdisciplinary Journal of Health, Ethics, & Policy
    TUFTSCOPE THE INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF HEALTH, ETHICS, & POLICY A DISCUSSION WITH LYDIA X. Z. BROWN: DISABILITY JUSTICE POTENTIAL FOR WORLD’S FIRST HUMAN HEAD TRANSPLANT d 23AndMe: AT-HOME GENETIC Fall 2017 • Volume 17 Issue I TESTING JOURNAL HISTORY EDITORIAL BOARD INSIDE THIS ISSUE Since 2001, TuftScope: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Health, Ethics, & Policy has provided an academic forum for discus- Editor-in-Chief TuftScope | Fall 2017 • Volume 17, Issue I sion of pertinent healthcare and biosocial issues in today’s Neeki Parsa world. The journal addresses different aspects of health- LETTER FROM THE EDITOR care, bioethics, public health, policy, and active citizen- Managing Editor Moving Forward.....................................................................................5 ship. It is operated and edited by undergraduate students of Tufts University and is advised by an Editorial Board Michael Seleman Neeki Parsa composed of Tufts undergraduates and faculty. Today the journal is one of the few peer-reviewed, undergraduate- Senior Financial Officer Ursula Biba NEWS BRIEFS published journals in the country. Selections From Our News Analysis Blog.....................................6 Faculty Advisors TuftScope Staff PUBLISHER AND PRINTER Harry Bernheim, PhD TuftScope is published by the TuftScope Journal organiza- Alexander Queen, PhD FEATURE INTERVIEW tion at Tufts University. The journal is printed by Puritan A Discussion with Lydia X. Z. Brown ..............................................8 Press, NH (http://www.puritanpress.com). Junior Financial Officer Michael Seleman Akari Miki COPYRIGHT TUFTSCOPE 2016 News & Analysis Editor BOOK REVIEW TuftScope is an open-access journal distributed under the Ted Midthun A Book Review of Mark Wolynn’s It Didn’t Start with You......12 terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which Neeki Parsa permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, Research Highlights Editor provided the original author and source are credited.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Organ Transplant Authority (Guidelines)
    HUMAN ORGAN TRANSPLANT AUTHORITY Protocol/Guidelines for Stem Cell Research/Regulation in Pakistan In Collaboration with the National Bioethics committee, Pakistan INTRODUCTION The ability to cultivate a special class of cells known as stem cells and the possibility to use them as therapeutic tools has ushered in the era of what is known as regenerative medicine. All across the world research and clinical applications of stem cells involving human subjects are regulated by well established international guidelines with country specific details mandated by religious and social mores. Origin and Properties of Stem Cells: During the development of multi-cellular organisms a fertilized egg undergoes repeated cellular divisions to produce a mass of unspecialized cells known as embryonic stem cells. They are uncommitted primordial cells which ultimately give rise to adult stem cells most of which differentiate into characteristic cells of organs and tissues. Stem cells are defined by their ability to keep dividing and renewing their population and thus are not exhausted. In contrast some of the differentiated specialized cells often do not divide and once damaged are depleted. Potential of stem cells to renew and differentiate offers exciting possibilities to reverse tissue and organ damages caused by metabolic and degenerative diseases and aging. Where are Stem Cells found? Gametes/ blastocysts/ fetal tissues/ placenta/umbilical cord cells/ adult tissues serve as sources of stem cells. Classification of Stem Cells according to their Differentiation Potential Totipotent stem cells: These are stem cells with absolute developmental plasticity which can give rise to all cell types that are found in an embryo, fetus or developed organism including the trophoblast and the placenta.
    [Show full text]
  • The Morality of Head Transplant: Frankenstein’S Allegory
    5 THE MORALITY OF HEAD TRANSPLANT: FRANKENSTEIN’S ALLEGORY Aníbal Monasterio Astobiza1 Abstract: In 1970 Robert J. White (1926-2010) tried to transplant the head of a Rhesus monkey into another monkey’s body. He was in- spired by the work of a Russian scientist, Vladimir Demikhov (1916- 1998), who had conducted similar experiments in dogs. Both Demikhov and White have been successful pioneers of organ transplantation, but their scientific attempts to transplant heads of mammals are often remem- bered as infamous. Both scientists encountered important difficulties in such experiments, including their incapacity to link the spinal cord, which ended up by creating quadriplegic animals. In 2013, neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero claimed his capacity and plan to carry out the first human head 1 I am grateful to the Basque Government sponsorship for carrying out a posdoc- toral research fellowship at the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics of the University of Oxford, and to the latter institution for its warm welcome. Also, I would like to thank David Rodríguez-Arias for his invaluable comments and suggestions for the improvement of this paper. As usual, any error is solely the author’s responsibility. This work was carried out within the framework of the following research projects: KONTUZ!: “Responsabilidad causal de la comisión por omisión: Una dilucidadión ético-jurídica de los problemas de la acción indebida” (MINECO FFI2014-53926-R); “La constitución del sujeto en la interacción social: identidad, normas y sentido de la acción desde la perspectiva de la filosofía de la acción, la epistemología y la filosofía experimental” (FFI2015-67569-C2-2-P), and “Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnol- ogy of Moral Enhancement Ethical Aspects” (FFI2016-79000-P).
    [Show full text]
  • From Immunology to Peripheral Nerve Fusion Sergio Canavero, Xiaoping Ren HEAVEN-GEMINI International Collaborative Group, Turin, Italy and Nanning, China
    www.surgicalneurologyint.com Surgical Neurology International Editor-in-Chief: Nancy E. Epstein, MD, NYU Winthrop Hospital, Mineola, NY, USA. SNI: Head and Spinal Cord Transplantation Editor Sergio Canavero, MD; XiaoPing Ren, MD HEAVEN/GEMINI International Collaborative Group, Turin, Italy Open Access Editorial Advancing the technology for head transplants: From immunology to peripheral nerve fusion Sergio Canavero, Xiaoping Ren HEAVEN-GEMINI International Collaborative Group, Turin, Italy and Nanning, China. E-mail: *Sergio Canavero - [email protected]; Xiaoping Ren - [email protected] In this editorial, we hash out the details of two major aspects of the technology behind head transplants (HEAVEN), one having to do with immunosuppression (IS), the other on the reconnection of peripheral nerves at neck level. IMMUNOTOLERANCE [5] *Corresponding author: In the context of HEAVEN, the donor body would reject the head (although it cannot Prof. Sergio Canavero, be excluded that resident head immune cells in the head can mount a reaction against the HEAVEN-GEMINI body), with rejection of tissues not protected by the blood–brain barrier (i.e., the brain) such International Collaborative as the pituitary gland or the spinal cord (and of course the face skin and muscles) especially Group, Turin, Italy and critical. This necessitates IS with a protocol similar to facial and limb transplants. Sirolimus, Nanning, China. with its minimal neurotoxicity and pro-neuroregenerative properties (despite its interference [email protected] with wound healing), is especially indicated. However, long-term administration of these medications results – as is well known – in significant morbidity and mortality, including Received : 24 September 19 nephrotoxicity, infections, neoplasm, and cardiovascular diseases.
    [Show full text]
  • To-Head Transplant; a "Caputal" Crime? Examining the Corpus of Ethical and Legal Issues Zaev D
    Suskin and Giordano Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine (2018) 13:10 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13010-018-0063-2 EDITORIAL Open Access Body –to-head transplant; a "caputal" crime? Examining the corpus of ethical and legal issues Zaev D. Suskin1,2,3* and James J. Giordano2,3,4 Abstract Neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero proposed the HEAVEN procedure – i.e. head anastomosis venture – several years ago, and has recently received approval from the relevant regulatory bodies to perform this body-head transplant (BHT) in China. The BHT procedure involves attaching the donor body (D) to the head of the recipient (R), and discarding the body of R and head of D. Canavero’s proposed procedure will be incredibly difficult from a medical standpoint. Aside from medical doubt, the BHT has been met with great resistance from many, if not most bio- and neuroethicists. Given both the known challenges and unknown outcomes of HEAVEN, several important neuroethical and legal questions have emerged should Canavero be successful, including: (1) What are the implications for transplantology in the U.S., inclusive of issues of expense, distributive justice, organizational procedures, and the cost(s) of novel insight(s)? (2) How do bioethical and neuroethical principles, and legal regulations of human subject research apply? (3) What are the legal consequences for Canavero (or any other surgeon) performing a BHT? (4) What are the tentative implications for the metaphysical and legal identity of R should they survive post-BHT? These questions are analyzed, issues are identified, and several solutions are proposed in an attempt to re-configure HEAVEN into a safe, clinically effective, and thus (more) realistically viable procedure.
    [Show full text]
  • Head Transplant - the Newest Reports and Concerns on Planned Procedure
    Available online at www.worldscientificnews.com WSN 105 (2018) 212-217 EISSN 2392-2192 SHORT COMMUNICATION Head transplant - the newest reports and concerns on planned procedure Maria Gołębiowska1,*, Beata Gołębiowska2 1 Student, I Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Al. Raclawickie 1, 20-059 Lublin, Poland 2 Pediatric Neurology Department, III Chair of Pediatrics, Medical University of Lublin, 6 Prof. A. Gebali Str., 20-093 Lublin, Poland *E-mail address: [email protected] ABSTRACT Transplantation, one of the most intensively developing fields of medicine, is giving patients hope for the chance of "second life" and health. The 21st century medical achievements heralded to achieve more difficult challenges, such as face transplant or lower extremity transplant. Among the futuristic dreams of the scientists, one of the projects - the Head to Body Transplant, stands out as one of the most controversial surgeries of the century. The aim of this study was to present the current state of art in medical aspect on cephalic anastomosis, as well as ethical implications. Among articles in PubMed Medline database related to human cephalic anastomosis, head transplant, head to body transplant keywords, 15 articles were selected for further analysis. Reviewed research presents significant development in conduction of the human cephalic anastomosis project. Most of the crucial parts of the surgery, such as deep profound hypothermia, spinal cord anastomosis - the detachment and fusion with the fusiogenes particles, have been practiced on animal models. The more newest revelations are revealed to the public, the more ethical and technical concerns are raised, primarily in terms of one-center study aprroach, infavourable benefit-cost ratio and futuristic apprehensions of infertility, transsexual or even unnatural life prolongation reasons for performing this type of surgery.
    [Show full text]