February 22, 2007
Because I feel the matter of human cloning is such an important issue, I am going to print a speech given by Representative Richard Anderson on the house floor this week:
Prior to attending law school, I graduated from the University of Iowa Physical Therapy graduate school program. We moved to California where I worked at Rancho Los Amigos, a teaching/research hospital affiliated with the University of Southern California. It is a rehab hospital focusing on spinal cord, neurological, orthopedic and cardiac rehab.
I came to love a particular population of young people who, having serious and complex neurological problems, lived at the hospital in wheel chairs they controlled with a mouth control, pulling their mechanical ventilators behind them on a small trailer. They lived noble lives engaging in sports and art. We dreamed and wondered if someday they would be able to walk. I want to see them walk.
Thus, I do support stem cell research. I am for sound scientific research.
In recent years we have all been exposed to the hope-filled claims and reports in the media of potential cures from stem cell research. If we read a lot, we know there are some exaggerated claims. If we listen carefully, we hear a quieter voice. We hear reminders of other considerations. These considerations include important, if not profound, questions about honesty, ethics and cost.
Fairy Tales
Dr. Ron McKay, senior researcher at the NIH molecular biology lab in the Washington Post in June, 2004 acknowledged that scientists have not been quick to correct exaggerated claims of the medical potential of embryonic stem cells. Yet he justified this dishonesty by stating: “To start with people need a fairy tale. Maybe that’s unfair, but they need a story line that’s simple to understand.”
Most scientists are noble seekers of truth and they research in good faith. Some are telling tales, a few may even be distorting the truth.
Fame and Fraud
Perhaps the worst case is South Korean researcher, Hwang Woo-Suk. In March of 2004 Hwang reported he had generated a human stem cell line from a cloned human embryo. In June of 2005 he reported he had generated 11 patient-specific stem cell lines from cloned embryos. In the media, the world hailed him as a hero and a pioneer. The clamor here in the US was to remove funding restrictions lest we fall behind. Storm clouds soon appeared on the horizon, and by the fall of 2005, his colleagues raised questions about his results and a scientific fraud investigation was launched. By December 2005 all the stem cell lines were shown to be fakes.
But what does scientific truth stretching have to do with us in the Iowa House of Representatives?
It is Time for Truth in Legislation
My concerns are with the way we are speaking. Are we being honest with respect to current law and the new proposed legislation? Current Iowa Code section 707B.3(2) defines human cloning as asexual reproduction using Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. This is the same definition used in science. This code chapter uses two phrases: Reproductive Cloning (when the clone sustained full term) and Therapeutic Cloning (when the clone is destroyed to obtain stem cells) It does not restrict areas of scientific research, not specifically prohibited. What is specifically prohibited is both reproductive and therapeutic cloning.
There is no ban on stem cell research. It doesn’t even specifically ban human embryonic stem cell research. There is only a ban on human cloning Proposed legislation SF162 and HF 287 consistent with current Iowa law (Ch.707B) bans reproductive cloning, which is defined as asexual reproduction using Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. However, it specifically allows therapeutic cloning (lines 17-18)
You have heard me speak about other inconsistencies in some of our legislative work. Not to worry here! Because we specifically repeal the existing ban on cloning (Ch. 707B) on page 2, line 19 of the proposed legislation. This is contrary to all the misinformation that we are putting out which says we are not repealing the ban on human cloning.
This bill specifically allows us to make humans clones, and we try to dress it up with the word “therapeutic.”
People let us be honest. There is no stem cell ban in Iowa. There is a cloning ban. We are lifting the ban on therapeutic human cloning. Let me repeat that, we are lifting the ban on therapeutic cloning.
Current stem cell therapies are having problems with immune system rejection. “Promised miracle cures require cloned embryos”, we are told. Miracle cures are already happening! These cures are coming from an individual’s own existing stem cells, not embryonic stem cells. Rep. Mike May’s granddaughter is one of them, who, if you remember, we met last term as she sang the Star Spangled Banner. Let’s support sound and fruitful scientific evidence. Let’s support truth.
Experts v. Elders
We have grown accustomed to looking to scientists as experts to find solutions to all our problems. There are others advisors besides experts. There are elders – wise ones to whom we should also listen. They are the ones who remind us of the other considerations, including the self-evident truth that humans need guidance, regulation and ethics.
It is my hope that we will listen to the elders and look at other considerations.
Slippery (rocky) slope-Transformed ethics
The slippery slope is an overused metaphor, so I might call it a rocky slope. “Over time
we become blind to how we once thought and what we once valued. We become accustomed to or attracted to thoughts we would once have found unthinkable.”
Five short years ago
“Reproductive cloning” (the bringing of a cloned embryo to birth), we thought was unthinkable. We also thought this about “therapeutic cloning” (cloning to produce embryos or fetuses for the sake of providing cells, tissues, organs for therapy). This legislative body expressed that value in 2002 in an overwhelming 96-1 vote.
Penalty SHIFT!!
Five years ago, even 5 minutes ago under current chapter 707B, the penalty for therapeutic cloning was and is a Class C felony! A Class C felony! Furthermore, if there was pecuniary gain to the researcher, the law imposed a civil penalty of twice the gross gain and was subject to a revocation of license. Now we are sliding further down the rocky slope. Yet we do so knowing that the taxpayers do not support human cloning.
Real Goal Exposed: Fetal Farming
This legislation places no limits on therapeutic cloning. One could ask the question why stop at therapeutic cloning? It has been asked…and eerily been answered. Robert P. George, Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, has from his involvement in this issue reported that the long-term goal is to create an industry involving the harvesting of “late embryonic and fetal body parts for use in regenerative medicine and organ transplantation.”
The goal is not embryonic stem cells which have the potential to develop into multiple types of mature cells. The real goal, the real therapeutic potential lies in fetal farming, where we allow a person’s embryonic clone embryo to become a fetus of 4-5 months old – nearly old enough to live outside the womb! Will we respect human life or will we start creating and killing fetuses in order to harvest their organs? If we are not careful, Huxley’s Brave New World will be upon us, one in which human beings are treated as just another farm animal. When our next review of our cloning laws takes place, perhaps five years from now, when scientists come asking for live-birth cloning and fetal farming, will we care? Having tumbled down the rocky slope, we have succumbed to another transformation of our sense of right and wrong. We will have become “accustomed to thoughts we would once have found unthinkable.”
Exploitation of women
This word often elicits suspicion and thinking that the speaker sees boogey men. Being the father of three daughters in their 20s, I guess my comments on this issue flows out of my concerns for young women.
Investigations showed South Korean researcher Hwang used thousands of human eggs for his research, not the hundreds he claimed. He even pressured junior colleagues to donate eggs.
It is my understanding that medical risks with egg donations include ovarian scar tissue, sterility, and even death. We continue to hear stories of young women selling their eggs. This week’s Des Moines Register (Monday Feb. 19) contained an article on this very subject. Even though it is illegal to sell body organs, these women are selling their eggs for up to $8,000. Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, director at University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics reports, “It does feel a little more like the Wild West than it ought to” and “we offer people so much money that they are blind to the risk.” The fee has gotten so high the women are ignoring the risks. A survey reported therein tells us that half of the women are using the money to pay off credit card debt!
Is this exploitation of young poor women to meet the egg demands of this research or am I, the father of 3 daughters, just seeing things? Do we care? How can the medical risks to women from this research be justified? Are we willing to protect them?
Money
In addition to HF 287, we will be asked to fund a $12.5 M stem cell/cloning research facility at the University of Iowa to keep Iowa at the forefront of this emerging area. “The assertion that embryonic stem cells in the lab can be induced to form all the cells of the mature human body has been so often repeated that it seems incontrovertibly true. What is missing is the simple fact that there is essentially no scientific evidence supporting it.” University of Utah Medical School Professor of Neurobiology Maureen Condic.
There is also no compelling scientific argument advanced for the public support of research on human embryos. Look at the private sector. Even after spending $100M in research, the California company Geron lost $80 M in 2005. Advance Cell Technology, a Massachusetts company is having financial difficulty. Celgene President Alan Lewis reports it is hard to find venture capitalists. The investors “are very cautious” about investing because of the lack of success. For 30 years, hundreds of billions of dollars and countless hours of research by dedicated professionals world wide have not solved these problems. So where does the researcher turn – to the taxpayers. High rolling venture capitalists won’t invest in this high risk, low success business, will 150 legislators and one governor?
If the private venture capitalists are in short supply, why should we make a investment with public money in ethically troubled research?
IN CONCLUSION
I ask us to be honest in our rhetoric. Our proposed legislation is allowing human cloning.
Let us be careful and wise regarding the ethics. Is yesterday’s Class C felony tomorrow’s grant recipient. Is tomorrow’s therapeutic clone, next year’s fetal farm?
Do we allow our young women to fall prey to the egg brokers?
If we want to invest taxpayer money, let’s do it where we have consensus. Let’s do it where there are realistic proven results – let’s support honest, ethical, careful stem cell research!
I agree with Rep. Anderson, in fact I was instrumental in the passage of the ban five years ago. I will be voting “NO”.
Visitors to the Capitol
Barb Conway of Homestead and Linda Allison from Amana with the Iowa Nurses Asso, Ron & Judy Kielkopf from Fremont and Janice Farrell of Hedrick with the ICCI, Mayor Mike Jasper from Martinsburg and Angela Tjaden from Amana with ISCA.
Question of the Week…
Linn and Johnson counties just became the last two counties in the state to pass the county-wide sales tax for school infrastructure. Do you support going to a permanent state wide sales tax increase for schools?
I would appreciate your input. My phone number at the Capitol is 515-281-3221, or e-mail me at betty.deboef@legis.state.ia.us. I would welcome visitors at the Capitol, too!