Clinton speaks out on science, urges work on AIDS vaccine

Issues in Science and Technology, Summer 1997

In a speech at Morgan State University's commencement on May 18, President Clinton addressed a variety of broad science issues, emphasizing social responsibility in the application of new knowledge. He also challenged AIDS researchers to develop a vaccine for the disease within 10 years.

Speaking in the wake of events such as the cloning of an adult sheep and the discovery of possible life on Mars, Clinton said that although science holds great promise for the future, with the potential to improve lives and strengthen the nation, "Science often moves faster than our ability to understand its implications, leaving a maze of moral and ethical questions in its wake."

The president highlighted and illustrated some basic principles that society should use in applying new knowledge. Citing the Tuskegee experiment, in which a group of African Americans infected with syphilis were left untreated so that researchers could watch the disease progress, Clinton stated that science should be conducted for the benefit of all citizens, not just the privileged few. (On behalf of the government, the president formally apologized for the Tuskegee experiment in early May.) Clinton also urged Congress to pass legislation prohibiting insurance companies from using information gained from genetic screening to discriminate against individuals and called for strong protection of individual privacy against the threat of potentially invasive information technologies. Finally, he reminded the audience that "science is not God," and that advances such as cloning require renewed attention to issues of individuality and faith.

Clinton compared the new push to develop an AIDS vaccine within 10 years to the moon landing program of the 1960s. He said that NIH would establish a new center for AIDS vaccine research to help achieve the 10-year goal. He also pledged to seek international support for the effort. Skeptics, including AIDS activists, quickly pointed out that Clinton made no mention in the speech of seeking increased funding for the initiative.