The Race to Save Terri Schiavo
By David Brody
Congressional Correspondent
http://www.the700club.org/cbnnews/news/050309b.asp
CBN.com – (CBN News) - Two Florida lawmakers have introduced a bill that could save the life of Terri Schiavo.
Schiavo suffered a severe brain injury in 1990. A court has ordered her feeding tubes to be removed on March 18th.
Terri Schiavo's life may end in just a few weeks. If doctors do indeed pull her feeding tubes, as a court has ordered, then it will be just a matter of days after that before she will die. She will basically starve to death. It may take an act of Congress to save her, literally.
Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL) is a congressman and a doctor, too. He is convinced that Schiavo is not in a vegetative state, as the media is reporting.
Rep. Weldon said, "I took care of a lot patients like this. She is brain-damaged. She is not in a vegetative state."
So in trying to save Schiavo, Rep. Weldon has come up with a bill that allows her, and others like her, the right to a lawyer when there is a family disagreement. He is introducing it in the House, and Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) is introducing it in the Senate.
The bill's guarantee to a lawyer is a due process right guaranteed under the Constitution. Rep. Weldon says death row inmates have these rights, so why not Schiavo? Then, with a lawyer in hand, Terri would get another hearing and a chance at a court reversal.
Rep. Weldon said, "That's my goal. My hope is that it will be taken to federal court with her own attorney and a complete review of the facts, and then a determination will be made that she's not in a vegetative state."
On Capitol Hill, Schiavo's brother and sister, Bobby and Suzanne, have come here to push for Rep. Weldon's bill. The family has tried their best to lobby Democrats and Republicans.
Terri’s brother, Bobby Schindler, said, "We’re going around telling them that Terri is not in a coma - she interacts. She's very responsive, and she can be helped. And when we tell these things to even the senators, they look at you, and they were unaware of Terri's condition."
So as it stands now, leaders in both the Senate and House may try to rush this bill through, though there are no guarantees.
Just received word----greer has denied ALL the motions---No new medical tests, no food and water orally, no vacate stay on grounds of Karen Quinlan/Diane Meyer testimony and that includes the denial of DCF motion. That info directly from Schindler legal team
Who appoints the Attorney?
I can't get two lower links to open.
Schiavo's Spouse Explains Side, Tells Of Struggle
http://reports.tbo.com/reports/schiavo/
CLEARWATER - Michael Schiavo faxed a statement to news organizations Monday in which he said he has difficulty accepting a court ruling allowing him to have his wife's feeding tube removed.
Full story
Michael Schiavo's Statement
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGAGC7TE1MD.html
http://news.tbo.com/news/MGA9DXB31MD.html