2001 Ron Paul 105:1
Mr. Speaker, I rise to
introduce legislation
prohibiting federal funding for any organization that engages in human
cloning
or human cloning techniques. Moral and legal questions surrounding
human cloning
are among the most contentious and divisive facing America today.
However, I
hope we can all agree that no American should be forced to subsidize
this
activity.
2001 Ron Paul 105:2
Some believe the current
prohibition on the use of federal funds for cloning
and cloning research is sufficient protection for those taxpayers who
object to
cloning. However, this argument is flawed for two reasons. First, the
current
ban is not permanent- and thus could be changed at will by a future
Congress or
administration. Second, because money is fungible, current law does not
necessarily prevent federal funds from subsidizing cloning. After all,
whenever
a company that engages in cloning research receives federal dollars for
any
project, the company obviously then has more dollars available to use
for
cloning. Therefore, any federal funding for companies that
engage in
human cloning forces taxpayers to subsidize those activities. Thus, the
only way
to ensure that no American is forced to pay for cloning research is to
eliminate
all federal funding of such companies or
organizations.
2001 Ron Paul 105:3
Thomas Jefferson said "To
compel a man to furnish contributions for the
promulgation of ideas he disbelieves is both sinful and tyrannical." I
hope
my colleagues will embrace the spirit of Jefferson and join me in
ending the
sinful and tyrannical practice of forcing taxpayers to subsidize a
practice so
many find abhorrent. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and
forbid
federal funds from going to any company which engages in human cloning.
This chapter appeared in Ron Pauls Congressional website at http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2001/cr121301.htm