Thank you, Representative Morella, Chairwoman of this Subcommittee, for the invitation to participate in this hearing on human cloning. I speak not as a representative of any particular organization or institution, but as an individual who is a scientist, bioethicist, parent, and citizen with significant moral concerns about the possibility of human cloning.
Human beings are unique.
Human life elicits special awe and respect, even reverence. While we emphasize human freedom, we agree to limits on that freedom when the freedom of one comes at the expense of another. Human cloning significantly threatens this uniqueness, respect, and freedom. An overwhelming majority of people believe human cloning ought not to be done at all or can be justified in only a few, rare situations. To protect the interests of the public and human well-being, human cloning should not be left as a new reproductive liberty, nor solely as professional guidelines with voluntary compliance.