WASHINGTON (March 7, 2002) -- One of the most important pro-life debates ever will occur in the U.S. Senate in April. The Senate will debate whether to approve legislation to ban the cloning of human embryos.

Please urge ALL U.S. senators to support the crucial legislation (S. 1899, sponsored by Senator Sam Brownback) that would truly ban human cloning, and to oppose "clone and kill" legislation that would permit the establishment of human embryo farms (such as Senator Harkin's S. 1893 and Senator Feinstein's S. 1758).

ACTION REQUIRED

In addition, pro-life citizens should phone, fax, and/or e-mail the offices of both U.S. Senators for their states.

Because of heightened security on Capitol Hill, regular mail to Senate offices may be delayed somewhat, so phone calls and electronically transmitted messages may be preferable. Senators' e-mail addresses, and in some cases fax numbers, may be obtained at the website www.senate.gov (see below). (Always be sure to include your regular return mailing address in e-mails, so that the senator's staff can see that you are a constituent.)

Please utilize newsletters, church bulletins, call-in radio shows, and other means to alert other pro-life citizens to this crucial fight. Also, write short letters to the letters columns of local newspapers, highlighting the critical votes that senators will soon cast.

HERE ARE THE KEY MESSAGE POINTS:

• Urge the senators to vote for legislation sponsored by Senator Sam Brownback (R-Ks.) to ban the cloning of human embryos (S. 1899).
  
  
• Urge the senators to oppose the counterproposals, such as those sponsored by Senators Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) (S. 1893) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.) (S. 1758), that would permit the cloning of human embryos and the establishment of HUMAN EMBRYO FARMS. These bills are falsely labeled as bans on "human cloning," but in reality they are worded in a manner that allows human embryos to be created by cloning, while making it a crime to allow any such human embryo to live by implanting him or her in a womb. These "clone and kill" shams must be defeated before the Senate can pass a true ban on human cloning.
  
  
• If you obtain information on any senator's position (including information reported in the press), please forward it to NRLC by e-mail to Legfederal@aol.com (preferred), or by fax to (202) 347-3668, or by regular mail to NRLC, Federal Legislation, 512-10th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20004-1401.

• PHONE CALLS to Virginia Senators: Senator Allen can be reached at 202-224-4024; Senator Warner can be reached at 202-224-2023. Other senators can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Once connected, explain that you are a constituent, politely convey your position, and ask for a written response explaining the senator's position.
  
  
• E-MAIL can be sent to Virginia Senators using these hot links for Senator George Allen and Senator John Warner. E-mail addresses for other senators are available from the Senate website at www.senate.gov. Be sure to include your regular mailing address in the text of your e-mails, so that the senators know that the message comes from constituents.
  
  
• FAXES can be sent to Virginia Senator Allen at 202-224-5432, and Senator Warner at 202-224-2023.
  
  
• REGULAR MAIL can be sent to Senator ___________, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510 -- BUT REGULAR MAIL MAY BE DELAYED BY SECURITY MEASURES.
  
  
• PUBLIC EVENTS: Senators often visit their home states to participate in public events. Most senators will be in their home states for at least part of the congressional spring recess, which runs from March 22 until April 9. Pro-life citizens should take advantage of any opportunities to speak directly with senators about this urgent issue.

DON'T ASSUME!

On the other hand, do not assume that every pro-life senator will automatically vote for the Brownback legislation. Some are confused by claims by the bio-tech lobby and some research advocacy groups that so-called "therapeutic cloning" is necessary to advance medical science. It is important that they understand that a vote in favor of the Harkin or Feinstein proposals is a vote in favor of human embryo farms and a "clone and kill" policy.

SENATE SPONSORS OF THE GOOD AND BAN BILLS ON HUMAN CLONING

The following 26 U.S. Senators had sponsored the genuine ban on human cloning (S. 1899), sponsored by Senator Sam Brownback (R-Ks.), S. 1899: Shelby (R-Al.), Sessions (R-Al.), Murkowski (Ak.), Hutchinson (R-Ar.), Kyl (R-Az.), Allard (R-Co.), Grassley (R-Iowa), Bunning (R-Ky.), Craig (R-Id.), Fitzgerald (R-Il.), Landrieu (D-La.), Lott (R-Ms.), Bond (R-Mo.), Burns (R-Mt.), Hagel (R-Ne.), Ensign (R-Nv.), Gregg (R-NH), Robert Smith (R-NH), Helms (R-NC), DeWine (R-Ohio), Voinovich (R-Ohio), Nickles (R-Ok.), Inhofe (R-Ok.), Santorum (R-Pa.), and Bennett (R-Utah).

Four senators have sponsored the competing "clone and kill" bill (S. 1893), introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). This bill is misleadingly labeled as a "human cloning prohibition," but in reality it would permit so-called "therapeutic cloning" -- that is, it would allow the cloning of human embryos, but forbid these embryos to be placed in a womb. Harkin's cosponsors are Boxer (D-Ca.), Reid (D-Nv.), and Specter (R-Pa.).

In addition, eight senators have sponsored the similar "clone and kill" bill (S. 1758) introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.). The sponsors are, in addition to Feinstein: Boxer (D-Ca.), Miller (D-Ga.), Durbin (D-Il.), Mikulski (D-Md.), Kennedy (D-Mass.), Corzine (D-NJ), and Clinton (D-NY).

You can obtain up-to-date lists of the cosponsors and status of these bills (or any other congressional legislation) on the congressional website known as "Thomas," thomas.loc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

A number of excellent factsheets on the human cloning issue have been issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. They are available at the USCCB website at www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/bioethic/factsheets.htm.

In addition, "Americans to Ban Cloning," a recently formed coalition of anti-cloning groups, has launched a website that contains much useful information: www.cloninginformation.org.

VSHL is the Virginia affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee.