Cloning showdown comes quickly

WASHINGTON - Abortion opponents and conservative Republicans have sparked a head-to-head confrontation with biotechnology and pharmaceutical trade associations, patient advocates and scientific research interests by attempting to skirt conventional Senate procedures to pass bans on human cloning and embryo research.

The Senate plans to vote this week on a motion by the anti-cloning forces to end a Democratic filibuster of legislation co-sponsored by Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Mo.) and 10 other Republicans. The bill, S. 1601, The Human Cloning Prohibition Act, is authored by Sen. Christopher Bond of Missouri and has the support of Bill Frist of Tennessee, the only physician in Congress...