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For years, researchers and diabetic advocates of all ages and backgrounds have pleaded with Congress to help in their mission to find a cure. While there have been some increases in funding for diabetes-related research, advocates now face a greater challenge: convincing the U.S. Congress to support therapeutic cloning. Therapeutic cloning, which is the cloning of singular cells for medical purposes, may hold the key to finding a cure for diseases like diabetes, along with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Several Members of Congress have been vocal in their support for funding, while others are strongly opposed. Last summer, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban all types of human cloning. Recently, Senator Sam Brownback (R-KA) has introduced legislation that would not only limit therapeutic cloning research, but make it a crime punishable by up to 10 years in jail. Bush stated that this bill would prevent, "a significant step toward a society in which human beings are grown for spare body parts, and children are engineered to custom specifications."
However, there is competing legislation. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Tom Harkin (D-IO), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) would like legislation to allow therapeutic cloning, but ban all other kinds. While most all Congressmen oppose reproductive cloning (the cloning of actual humans), there is a strong division when it comes to therapeutic cloning. Some believe it is immoral, while others believe it is the only chance to cure chronic and dangerous diseases.
Senator Hatch stated, "Regenerative medicine is pro-life and pro-family. If encouraged to flourish, it can improve the lives of millions of Americans and could lead to new scientific frontiers not now in sight."
Decisions on this matter have not been easy in coming. Discussions on energy and trade have left little time before the Memorial Day hiatus for cloning debates. Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) told reporters, "I think we're probably going to have to pick up where we left on stem cell research sometime after we get back.". Advocates are urged to contact their Members of Congress and speak with them regarding this issue. The more support therapeutic cloning receives from the public, the stronger chance there is that legislation will pass in their favorite. Fortunately, other countries such as Canada and Britain have approved therapeutic cloning and embryonic cell research.