February 10 - Barack Obama Pushes FDA to Allow Scientists to Create Three-Parent Embryos

Chairman Aderholt included language in the FY16 Omnibus (Agriculture appropriations) that prevents the FDA from approving the genetic modification of human embryos, such as the creation of “three parent” embryos. This language is needed because the proposed techniques for genetic alteration of human embryos manipulate young human life, create new individuals as experiments, and destroy human embryos in the process of the experiments. The scientific community in the US has made clear it would like to create genetically modified human embryos, recently releasing a report that advises the FDA to move forward with approving these controversial technologies. The only safeguard against FDA action in favor of genetically modifying human embryos is the Aderholt provision.