Human Cloning Promoted, Jeffords Resigns, Oregon Abortion Bill Advances

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 20, 2005   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Human Cloning Promoted, Jeffords Resigns, Oregon Abortion Bill Advances Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 20, 2005

International Scientists Urge Countries to Allow Research Human Cloning
Kyoto, Japan (LifeNews.com)
— Scientists meeting at an international conference in Kyoto urged nations across the world to adopt laws allowing research to us human cloning. They want to create and destroy human life in order to obtain stem cells for research, despite more ethical alternatives. The recommendations come from the Human Genome Organization’s ethics panel. The United Nations approved a measure in March calling on nation’s to ban all forms of human cloning, for both research and reproduction. The meeting also blasted President George W. Bush, who instituted limits on taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research.

Vermont Senator Who Backs Abortion Won’t Seek Re-Election
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
— A Vermont senator who backs abortion won’t seek re-election in 2006 to the U.S. Senate. Sen. Jim Jeffords, who allowed Democrats to control the Senate in mid 2001 when he changed parties, says health issues he and his wife are enduring will make it so he needs to spend more time with family. In 2003-2004, Jeffords compiled a dismal 18% pro-life voting record with the National Right to Life Committee. Vermont’s sole congressman, abortion advocate Bernie Sanders, says he will run for Jeffords’ seat. Gov. James Douglas, the state’s top Republican who backs abortion but opposes assisted suicide, may run as well. Pro-abortion Democratic Sens. Mark Dayton of Minnesota and Paul Sarbanes of Maryland have announced they won’t run in 2006 and pro-life Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will retire as well and possibly plans a presidential bid.

Oregon Parental Notification Bill on Abortion to Get House Vote
Salem, OR (LifeNews.com)
— A measure that would allow parents in Oregon to know when their teenager daughters are considering an abortion is scheduled to get a vote in the Oregon House soon. House Bill 2605 requires abortion businesses to notify parents 48 hours in advance so they have time to help their daughters find abortion alternatives. Similar bills in more than a dozen other states have reduced abortions on teens by as much as 30 percent. The measure is expected to be approve in the Republican-controlled House, but Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown, a Democrat, has said her chamber will defeat the measure. The bill was the only pro-life measure to make it out of the House Judiciary Committee. Pro-life groups such as the Oregon Catholic Conference and Oregon Right to Life support the bill.

British Scientists Receive Final Permission for Human Cloning
Newcastle, England (LifeNews.com)
— British scientists received final permission from the British government to clone human beings for diabetes research. They want to clone and kill human beings to obtain their stem cells, even though adult stem cell research has proven more effective. The team was the first in Europe to secure a license to clone human beings from the British government last year, but had to wait until this year to finalize that approval. The Newcastle team will use spare eggs form a fertility center to clone the embryos. Pro-life organizations strongly opposed the human cloning grant, saying it was unnecessary because adult stem cells have already produced cures and treatments for diabetes and other diseases and ailments.