Last week, in an attempt to spur floor debate on the issue of human cloning, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) offered a cloning amendment to an unrelated bill (S. 2600) dealing with terrorism insurance. The amendment would have prohibited researchers from obtaining a patent on any form of human life produced through cloning.
The amendment was thwarted on June 18 when the Senate voted, 65-31, to invoke cloture on the bill, thereby cutting off debate. The Brownback amendment was then struck on a point of order because it was not germane to the underlying bill.
Sen. Brownback offered the amendment after negotiations to bring a stand-alone bill (S. 790) to the floor broke down.
