Scientists told a congressional panel Wednesday that efforts to clone humans are ethically treacherous and likely to produce deformed babies, AP said. While someone might want to clone himself, ethicists said, a resulting baby would have no choice in the matter.
“We´re dealing with the most profound of human responsibilities — the future of our species,´´ said Representative James Greenwood, a Pennsylvanian Republican who is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee.
The Food and Drug Administration says any human cloning experiments in the United States would need its approval and, based on safety concerns, the agency would not approve any applications at this time. But cloning opponents worry that federal law may not be strong enough to back up FDA´s authority, and some want a ban in place even if safety concerns are satisfied.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush will work with Congress on a statute banning cloning and said Bush supports the ban in place since 1997 on federal funding for this research.
