Human Cloning Foundation Strongly Supports Hwang

The Human Cloning Foundation (HCF) today issued a statement strongly supporting Woo-Suk Hwang, the Korean scientist who said on Monday that the Bush Administration’s reluctance to fully support stem cell research is impeding U.S. research that has the potential to make major medical breakthroughs.

“Given the enormous resources at its disposal, the United States should rightfully take the lead role in human cloning research and development,” said David Madrigal, spokesman of the HCF. “However, in view of current federal limitations on stem cell research and President Bush’s open opposition to additional funding, the United States is now falling behind in the stem cell race.”

The Human Cloning Foundation noted that Hwang and company made major advances in stem cell research when the Korean team reported that it had created embryonic stem cells that genetically match those of injured or sick people. “Their research has the potential to treat degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease,” said Madrigal, who also pointed out that the Koreans achieved their milestone with funding from the South Korean government.
"The scientific effort to resolve the pain of patients with incurable conditions is very honorable, and I believe no mere individual politician or party can stop the historic trend," said Hwang on Monday in a Reuters interview. “"Solving these problems is a common responsibility of humanity.”
The U.S,. House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill that would loosen restrictions on federal funding for embryonice stem cell research that Bush imposed in 2001. Bush has said he will veto such legislation.

However, Pesident Bush said last week that he would veto legislation that would loosen restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and expressed concern about human cloning research in South Korea.

"I've made it very clear to Congress that the use of federal money, taxpayers' money, to promote science which destroys life in order to save life — I'm against that. And therefore if the bill does that, I will veto it," Bush said in the Washington Post.

The Human Cloning Foundation said that Bush is putting a roadblock on the enormous potential of stem cell research to save lives and ease the suffering of millions of people.