Posted on 03/20/2005 2:52:24 PM PST by Jean S
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate passed a bill that could prolong Terri Schiavo's life while a federal court considers her case while House Republicans, stymied by Democrats, scrambled to bring enough lawmakers back to the Capitol for an emergency vote early Monday.
GOP leaders planned a House vote just past midnight, hours after the Senate approved the bill by voice vote. President Bush rushed back from his Texas for a chance to sign the measure.
The plan had been for the House to act first and then the Senate to pass the House version. But with Democrats forcing a delay in the House, the Senate went ahead and passed its own, identical, version by unrecorded voice vote.
That means the House will be acting on the Senate-passed bill, still enabling the legislation to be hurried to Bush for signature into law.
The White House said the president would act as soon as the measure reaches him.
"We ought to err on the side of life in a case like this," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. Asked about a bill that would cover a single person, he said, "I think most people recognize that this case involves some extraordinary circumstances."
Lawmakers who left Washington on Friday for the two-week Easter recess had to make abrupt changes in plans, backtracking for a dramatic and politically contentious vote.
Democrats expressed sympathy for the severely brain-damaged Florida woman and for the plight of her family. But they also accused Republicans of ramming through constitutionally questionable legislation to satisfy the agenda of their conservative allies.
In a special session Sunday afternoon, Democrats refused to allow the bill to be passed without a roll call vote.
Under House rules, such a vote could not occur until Monday, thus the plans for a vote at 12:01 a.m. Monday at which at least 218 of the 435-member House must appear. Also, because it was an expedited vote, the measure needed votes from two-thirds of those present for passage.
The House has 232 Republicans, 202 Democrats and one independent.
The legislation would give Schiavo's parents the right to file suit in federal court over the withdrawal of food and medical treatment needed to sustain the life of their daughter.
It says the court, after determining the merits of the suit, "shall issue such declaratory and injunctive relief as may be necessary to protect the rights" of the woman. Injunctive relief in this case could mean the reinserting of feeding tubes.
"It gives Terri Schiavo another chance," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said after the late-afternoon voice vote in a near-empty Senate chamber. "It guarantees a process to help Terri, but does not guarantee a particular outcome."
Frist also noted that the bill, responding to some Democratic objections, does not affect state assisted suicide laws or serve as a precedent for future legislation.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said members scattered across the globe were being summoned back to Washington by aides to House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
Blunt's office sent a notice to members on their handheld computers Friday to be prepared to return to Washington on Sunday, said spokeswoman Burson Taylor.
In emergencies, when that does not work, the whip's office activates a phone tree, where one member is charged with calling the next. "We do anticipate a quorum," she said.
Smith added, "It should come as no surprise to any members reading a newspaper or watching TV. Smith canceled an official trip to Albania to escort Schiavo's brother, Bobby Schindler, to Capitol Hill press conferences Sunday.
The Democratic whip, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said his office was informing members of the vote and not discouraging them from returning to the capital. But he said the party was not counting votes and was telling members to vote their conscience on the issue.
Schiavo has been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years. Her feeding tubes were removed Friday afternoon at the request of her husband, who says that his wife expressed to him before she fell ill that she did not want to be kept alive under such circumstances.
House and Senate committees at the end of the week issued subpoenas seeking to force the continuation of treatment, but that move was rejected by a Florida court.
Schiavo could linger for one or two weeks if the tube is not reinserted, as has happened twice before.
Republicans defined their extraordinary efforts in the context of the sanctity of life: "A society is judged by the way that it treats its most vulnerable citizens," said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.
"No person in America should be deprived of the right to life without due process of law and Terri Schiavo is no different," Pence said.
But Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., spoke of "the manifestation of a constitutional crisis" where Congress, for ideological reasons, was ignoring the separations of power written into the Constitution.
Republicans distanced themselves from a memo suggesting GOP lawmakers could use the case to appeal to Christian conservative voters and to force Democrats into a difficult vote.
"I hope we're not ... making this human tragedy a political issue," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told ABC's "This Week." "We've got plenty of other issues that are political in nature for us to fight about."
AP-ES-03-20-05 1721EST
This story can be found at: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBPGFETJ6E.html
I'm glad they're stepping up to the plate. I'm not glad that it's taking so long, while the lady starves. The Democrats were just tossing stinkbombs--I have no doubt that if the President had said, "Let her die", the 'rats would be rallying around to save her life.
It's depressing to think that they can do something like this to an innocent woman in this country. Everyone is shocked and appalled when someone puts a pair of panties on a terrorist's head, but when it comes to innocent, disabled people, it's fine to kill them slowly and painfully.
Don't think he would -- no use for most transplants due to her long illness and lack of more than just rudimentary medical care. No, he just wants the "evidence" disposed of.
Does he mean they'll pay a price if they stop the effort to help Terri, or if they DON't stop that effort?
Not a factual statement.
;-)
The "government" is doing a great job at the moment.
It is a lose-lose situation for the Democrats.
You might want to do a little more research.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1366396/posts
The Repubs. need to stop pandering to the pro-life crowd
*Ahem* You're on a pro-life forum.
Go away you ill-informed pseudo-troll. I say that because you have been around since 2001, but act as if you signed up today.
If you took the time to read the numerous threads you would see that her parents have given up any claim to her money and just want to care for and feed their daughter. Regarding this backfiring with conservative voters, I don't think so, especially among those who have followed this case. Now if they just picked up an old media AP story that constantly paints her as being in a "persistent vegetative state", I could see them believing such. The situation is seen much differently for those who get by the anti-life hype of the mainstream liberal media.
You are the soul of brevity.
:D
Yours is certainly a minority opinion around here. Be prepared to be flamed endlessly and don't be surprised if you get your post pulled. I'm certain many will hit the abuse button on you.
The one possite side of this is that when Terri dies and I believe she will this time that atleast she will be in a better place.
God bless her and her family and yes that includes her husband.
Just upgraded my web site.
You may participate in an on-line poll on my site. The poll has just been put up. It records your vote so that you cannot vote more than once.
http://newspundit.net
http://newspundit.net/terrischiavocase.html
Please pass the word.
I haven't felt this anxious about something since election night last November. Dear God, allow Terri to live.
Does this mean that they must have 218 members voting [which represents a quorum] of which to pass the legislation 2/3rd must be voting in the affirmative?.....
If so that could become a problem depending upon the number of members from each party that show up..
Anyone know the DUmmie's take on this? I just showered and don't want to check it out myself.
Nurses abhor writing anything more than minimally required. ;o)
Legal experts were discussing this very thing on Friday.
You don't say. Then how do you explain this?
KING: Have you had any contact with the family today? This is a sad day all the way around, Michael. We know of your dispute.
M. SCHIAVO: I've had no contact with them.
KING: No contact at all?
M. SCHIAVO: No.
KING: Do you understand how they feel?
M. SCHIAVO: Yes, I do. But this is not about them, it's about Terri. And I've also said that in court. We didn't know what Terri wanted, but this is what we want...
transcripts.cnn.com
Uh, Greer essentially told congress to stick it... i think he does have final say since he hasn't been arrested for contempt of congress.
It's more than just AP who paints her this way.
AP did not make this up. They are reporting the facts of the case.
There are doctors who have diagnosed her condition as that of being PVS and the state also has deemed her as such.
If this where not the case then she could not be legally staved to death.
I know there are differing opinions from the medical community but they do not count at this point.
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