Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all appointed expert commissions on bioethics during their administrations. Under President Donald Trump, there was none – although he ended up experiencing one of the  country’s most serious bioethical challenges in the Covid-19 crisis.

Will President Joe Biden appoint his own bioethics commission?

The New York City Bar Association has urged the new Administration to create a new bioethics commission so that research, health care and innovation can proceed in a “in a socially and ethically responsible manner”:

As the pandemic has tragically underscored, careful thought and deliberation are plainly needed when addressing complex and intractable problems in bioethics and beyond.  This was the Commission’s mandate, and our Committee encourages your administration to reinstate it.  We are available to help in whatever way we can to make this happen. We remain committed to the study and advancement of bioethics to help create a more equitable world for all.

Michael Cook is editor of BioEdge

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