Lankford Supports Efforts by Administration to Stop the Use of Tissue, Organs from Unborn Children for Research

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today applauded the decision by the Trump Administration to move to terminate the inhumane research of human fetal tissue from elective abortions at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“The decision by the Administration to end its current contracts with the University of California San Francisco, stop new research at NIH, reevaluate outside research, and consider alternatives for research of human fetal tissue is an important ethical and moral decision that will help shape our future as a nation to protect the life and dignity of every person,” said Lankford.

Lankford continued, “Every human being should be treated with dignity and respect, no matter their age. We cannot in one moment say that an unborn child is not a person but then recognize the humanity and value for the purpose of research. There was never a time that a child wasn’t a child. From the moment of conception, children have their own DNA that is unique to them, and they will continue to have that same DNA through their entire life, separate from the mother or father. The only difference between a child growing in the womb and a two-year-old is time. Just because we call one unborn and one a toddler doesn’t mean one has greater value over the other.

“We demand transparency and humanity when other human organs and tissue are donated for research or life-saving operations. It is only reasonable to have the same integrity and ethical process for the use of fetal tissue.”

Last year Lankford joined Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) along with 15 other Senators to urge the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to cancel with Advance Bioscience Resources (ABR). ABR was awarded a contract by the FDA to acquire “fresh human fetal tissue” for research led by the FDA. 

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