LEGISLATION HAS BEEN INTRODUCED IN THE U-S CONGRESS TO 
OUTLAW HUMAN CLONING AND DENY GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR RESEARCH ON 
IT.  THE MEASURES ARE A REACTION TO THE RECENT REPORT OF THE 
CLONING OF AN ADULT SHEEP IN SCOTLAND, A MOVE MANY FEAR COULD BE 
EVENTUALLY DUPLICATED IN PEOPLE BUT,  SCIENTISTS ARE SKEPTICAL THAT 
LEGISLATION  WOULD BLOCK THE BENEFITS CLONING COULD OFFER UNLESS IT 
IS CAREFULLY WRITTEN.  

UNLIKE BRITAIN, GERMANY, AND SOME OTHER COUNTRIES, THE 
UNITED STATES HAS  NO  LAW FORBIDDING HUMAN CLONING, THE 
THEORETICAL PROCESS OF MAKING AN EXACT DUPLICATE OF A PERSON.  
BUT THE SCOTTISH SHEEP CLONING EXPERIMENT HAS STARTLED POLITICAL 
LEADERS INTO IMPOSING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE THE TECHNOLOGY BECOMES 
POSSIBLE IN HUMANS.

THE CONGRESSWOMAN WHO CHAIRS A U-S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY -- REPUBLICAN CONNIE MORELLA OF 
MARYLAND -- EXPRESSED HER REPUGNANCE OVER THE IDEA, AT A RECENT 
HEARING ON THE TOPIC.

         I CERTAINLY AM CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN CLONING.  I THINK 
         WE ALL ARE.  THERE ARE VERY COMPELLING MORAL, RELIGIOUS,
         AND PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONS  NOT  TO PERMIT IT.  THE 
         THEORETICAL CLONING OF HUMAN EMBRYOS HAS CERTAINLY 
         RAISED STRONG CONCERNS AND OBJECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE 
         WORLD.

THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS CURRENTLY OPERATING WITH A 
SCATTERED SET OF GUIDELINES BANNING THE FUNDING OF HUMAN EMBRYO 
AND HUMAN CLONING STUDIES BY THE GOVERNMENT'S MEDICAL RESEARCH
AGENCY, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.  SOME ARE IN THE FORM 
OF DIRECTIVES FROM PRESIDENT CLINTON, WHILE OTHERS HAVE COME AS 
AMENDMENTS TO LAWS FUNDING THE AGENCY.

BUT THERE IS  NO  BAN AGAINST HUMAN CLONING RESEARCH ITSELF OR 
AGAINST PRIVATE MONEY FROM PAYING FOR IT, ALTHOUGH MR. CLINTON 
HAS ASKED FOR A VOLUNTARY, TEMPORARY MORATORIUM.  HE WANTS TO 
POSTPONE SUCH WORK WHILE HIS BIOETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION COMES 
UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT OTHER STEPS THE GOVERNMENT CAN
TAKE TO ENSURE HUMANS ARE NEVER CLONED.

         SCIENCE OFTEN MOVES FASTER THAN OUR ABILITY TO 
         UNDERSTAND ITS IMPLICATIONS.  THAT IS WHY WE HAVE A 
         RESPONSIBILITY TO MOVE WITH CAUTION AND CARE TO HARNESS 
         THE POWERFUL FORCES OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SO THAT WE
         CAN REAP THE BENEFIT WHILE MINIMIZING THE POTENTIAL 
         DANGER.

BUT U-S LAWMAKERS ARE  NOT  WAITING FOR THE ADVISORY COMMISSION'S
RECOMMENDATIONS, DESPITE MR. CLINTON'S DESIRE  NOT TO ACT UNTIL 
THE PANEL HAS ITS SAY.  MEASURES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED IN BOTH THE
U-S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE BANNING HUMAN CLONING
RESEARCH.

THE SPONSOR OF THE HOUSE LEGISLATION -- REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN 
VERNON EHLERS ['AY-LERZ] OF MICHIGAN -- SAYS HE IS PROPOSING IT 
TO PREVENT A PUBLIC OUTCRY AGAINST ANY CLONING STUDIES, WHICH HE,
HIS CONGRESSIONAL COLLEAGUES AND PRESIDENT CLINTON ADMIT HAVE 
SCIENTIFIC MERIT FOR MEDICINE, AGRICULTURE, AND OTHER FIELDS.

         I THINK IF WE DON'T BAN IMMEDIATELY RESEARCH ON CLONING 
         OF HUMANS, WE ARE LIKELY TO SEE A STRONG MOVEMENT TO BAN
         RESEARCH ON CLONING IN GENERAL.  I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S
         VERY IMPORTANT TO DELINEATE THE LIMITS IMMEDIATELY ON 
         HUMAN CLONING SO THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE 
         FURTHER WORK IN THIS ISSUE OF CLONING OF OTHER SPECIES 
         AND SIMPLY POINT OUT TO THE PUBLIC WE NOW HAVE A GOLDEN 
         OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.

BUT THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH -- DR. HAROLD 
VARMUS -- IS ASKING THE LEGISLATORS TO BE CAREFUL HOW THEY WRITE 
THE LAW.  DESPITE THE GENERAL OPPOSITION THEY AND PRESIDENT 
CLINTON HAVE EXPRESSED TO HUMAN CLONING, HE POINTED OUT IN THE 
RECENT HEARING THAT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT MAY BE DESIRABLE.

         TO MAKE HUMAN CLONES FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES TO ME IS AN
         OFFENSIVE IDEA.  THERE IS, HOWEVER, THE ISSUE OF 
         CREATING HUMAN CLONES TO COMBAT REPRODUCTIVE 
         DEFICIENCIES.  WE PRIZE OURSELVES AS HUMAN BEINGS 
         BECAUSE OF OUR DIVERSITY, AND DIVERSITY IS THE PRODUCT 
         OF THE MATING OF SPERM AND EGG.  BUT I THINK WE NEED TO 
         CONTEMPLATE WHETHER THERE MIGHT BE ANY RARE SITUATIONS 
         IN WHICH IT MIGHT INDEED BE ACCEPTABLE TO CONTEMPLATE 
         HUMAN CLONING UNDER STRICT CONDITIONS OF GUIDANCE.

AS DR. VARMUS PUT IT, BANNING INVESTIGATION OF AN UNWANTED GOAL 
COULD ALSO CUT OFF OFF RESEARCH INTO A DESIRABLE GOAL.

OTHERS ARE EXPECTED TO EXPRESS A SIMILAR VIEW WHEN THE 
PRESIDENT'S BIOETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETS LATER THIS MONTH 
(MARCH 13TH AND 14TH) TO HEAR THE VIEWS OF SCIENTISTS, RELIGIOUS 
LEADERS, AND OTHER U-S OPINION MAKERS.  THE PANEL IS TO REPORT 
ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO PRESIDENT CLINTON BY THE END OF MAY.