THE WHITE HOUSE AT WORK
Monday, June 26,
2000
PRESIDENT CLINTON:
ANNOUNCING THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST SURVEY
OF THE ENTIRE HUMAN GENOME
June 26, 2000
"Today, we are learning the language in which God created life.
With this profound new knowledge, humankind is on the verge of gaining immense,
new power to heal."
President Bill Clinton
Monday, June 26, 2000
Today, at the White House, President Clinton, along with British
Prime Minister Tony Blair, announced that the international Human Genome
Project and Celera Genomics Corporation have both completed an initial
sequencing of the human genome - the genetic blueprint for human beings. The
President congratulated the scientists working on this landmark achievement,
which promises to bring new ways to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure disease.
The President pledged to continue and accelerate the United States'
participation in this historic effort, and underscored that genetic information
must never be used to stigmatize or discriminate against any individual or
group.
A REVOLUTION IN PREVENTING, DIAGNOSING, TREATING, AND CURING
DISEASE. Genetics causes an estimated 5,000 hereditary diseases and
influences the development of thousands of other diseases. Before the advent of
the Human Genome Project - a joint effort of the Department of Health and Human
Services, the Department of Energy, and partners in the U.K., France, Germany,
Japan, and China - connecting a gene with a disease was a slow, arduous, and
often imprecise process. Today, largely because of the efforts of the Human
Genome Project, genes are discovered and described within days. Scientists will
be able to use the working draft of the human genome to:
- Alert patients that they are at risk for certain diseases;
- Reliably predict the course of disease;
- Precisely diagnose disease and ensure that the most effective
treatment is used; and
- Develop new, more effective treatments at the molecular level.
USHERING IN A NEW ERA OF GENETIC MEDICINE. The sequence
represents only the first step in the full decoding of the genome, because most
of the individual genes and their specific functions must still be deciphered
and understood. This research has begun, and already, tens of thousands of
genes have been identified. The Human Genome Project, which completed its
version of the working draft two years ahead of schedule and under budget, will
continue its longstanding practice of making all of its sequencing data
available to researchers worldwide at no cost. Celera Genomics, which makes its
sequencing data available by subscription, has said that it will also make its
version of the consensus human genome sequence available to non-subscribers
upon publication.
PLEDGING STRONG SUPPORT FOR GENETIC RESEARCH. At today's
announcement, President Clinton:
- Reiterated U.S.commitment to strong federal support for genetic
research;
- Stated his support for a structure to consider the medical,
ethical and legal issues created by this research;
- Recognized that research and development by biotechnology
companies will be key to the translation of human genome sequence data into new
health care products;
- Pledged to foster a business environment that will spur research
and development in this vital sector; and
- Reaffirmed his support for patenting genetic discoveries that
have substantial and credible uses.
BUILDING ON A STRONG COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING PRIVATE GENETIC
INFORMATION. President Clinton and Vice President Gore have worked to
ensure that scientific advances do not compromise patient privacy protections.
President Clinton has:
- Signed an executive order that prohibits every civilian federal
department and agency from using genetic information in any hiring or promotion
action;
- Signed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act,
which prevents group health insurers from using genetic information to deny
individuals health insurance benefits; and
- Endorsed the Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance &
Employment Act of 1999, which ensures that genetic information will not be used
to discriminate against Americans seeking employment, promotion, or health
insurance.
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