THE ANNOUNCEMENT by Advanced Cell Technology of an apparent breakthrough in human cloning should restore a sense of urgency to Congress’s attempt to ban human cloning. After the House passed the Human Cloning Prohibition Act at the end of July, attention swung to the issue of embryonic stem cells. But then came September 11, and the whole question of dealing with the brave new world was put on hold while the nation turned its attention to dealing with the brutal old world. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas did manage to get an agreement from Senate majority leader Tom Daschle later in September that the Senate would deal with the issue early in 2002, but otherwise everyone was, understandably, preoccupied with the more immediate war.

But now cloning is back. What’s to be done? Round-robin phone calls Sunday among anti-brave new world activists, legislators, and White House aides have produced a tentative consensus (and one that may well be revised). There’s general agreement that doing nothing except condemning the experiment by Advanced Cell Technology and waiting for a Senate debate next February or March is inadequate. At least some effort should be made to achieve a ban more quickly, if only to put the lie to the fatalistic notion that the progress of science is unstoppable and legislative efforts are merely symbolic or even foolish.