Question: What is your position on medical research on human fetal tissue for diabetes and other diseases? What about human cloning for production of healthy organs for transplant?
Submitted from Ellis of Dallas, Texas through washingtonpost.com (10/16/00)
Answer from Al Gore:
The Importance Of Medical Research
Gore would invest in medical research to ensure new cutting edge treatments, prevention and detection tools.
I'm assuming from your question, Ellis, that you or someone you are close to suffers from diabetes. I want you to know that, if I'm entrusted with presidency, I will make improving America's health one of my administration's primary goals. I believe that we need to invest in medical research to take advantage of the new potential for treatments and cures. I will invest in medical research to ensure that scientists have the resources to develop new cutting edge treatments, prevention and detection tools.
Stem cell research will be an important component of 21st Century medical advancements. There are substantial medical benefits associated with using stem cells in research on many diseases, including diabetes.
I support the current Administration's new guidelines that have been developed to secure these benefits. Investing at the federal level to advance this research will help deliver these benefits faster for thousands of patients. I believe that the National Institute of Health has put in place appropriate ethical, legal and regulatory rules to permit researchers to obtain stem cells in a manner consistent with federal law.
I also support the 1994 ban on the creation of embryos solely for research purposes. Only stem cells obtained from excess supplies of embryos created for clinical purposes should be used for this important research. Stem cell donors must voluntarily consent to the use of their cellular material for research purposes.
In answer to your second question regarding human cloning, I support legislation that will prohibit anyone in either the public or private sector from using cloning techniques to create a child. I also support the Administration's ban on the use of federal funds for the cloning of human beings. We live in an era of breath-taking scientific discovery. More and more, our future in the world depends upon advances in science and technology. However, scientific explorations must be guided by our commitment to human values, to the good of society and to our basic sense of right and wrong.
| 
Today's Rolling Cyber Debate Question for Al Gore
copyright © 1998 - 2002 Markle Foundation | Online presence by mindshare Internet Campaigns LLC.