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
AP is spreading DISINFORMATION, troll. She is NOT in a PVS state. She is NOT in a coma. She is a disabled American, unable to speak clearly, because of brain damage. Brain damage does not equal PVS, troll.
Take a moment to watch the video and then come back and say she's PVS.
Did you see Bambakidis back down in a WorldNetDaily news article? I've posted the quote a few times.
Schiavo Case Judge Greer Could Be Removed From Office By Executive Order Of Gov. Bush
“I don’t want anyone trying to feed that girl” [VIDEO], Greer thundered from the bench in 2001. Greer’s statement, “the law of the case is that she is going to die”, is part of the court record.THE TERRI SCHIAVO INFORMATION PAGE
TERRI COMMUNICATES/MICHAEL SCHAIVO INCONSISTENT TESTIMONY
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT IN AND FOR PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO. 92-939-15
EXCERPT OF JURY TRIAL - TESTIMONY OF MICHAEL RICHARD SCHIAVO
(November 5, 1992)
page 26 Q. Why did you want to learn to be a nurse? page 27 A. Because I enjoy it and I want to learn more how to take care of Terry. Q. You're a young man. Your life is ahead of you. Your future is beyond you. Up the road, when you look up the road, what do you see for yourself? A. I see myself hopefully finishing school and taking care of my wife. Q. Where do you want to take care of your wife? A. I want to bring my wife home. Q. If you had the resources available to you, if you had the equipment and the people, would you do that? A. Yes, I would, in a heartbeat. Q. How do you feel about being married to Terry now? A. I feel wonderful. She's my life and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I believe in my -- I believe in my wedding vows. Q. What do you mean? You want to take a minute? A. Yeah. MR. WOODWORTH: If the Court would let us take a minute. Q. (BY MR. WOODWORTH:) You okay? A. Yeah. I'm sorry. Q. Have -- you said you believe in your wedding vows, what do you mean by that? A. I believe in the vows that I took with my wife, page 28 through sickness, in health, for richer or poorer. I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I'm going to do that. http://journals.aol.com/justice1949/JUSTICEFORTERRISCHIAVO/entries/323WHAT DO THE DOCTORS SAY?
"We, and others I know, have treated many patients worse than Terri and have seen them regain independence and dignity," Hammesfahr said.
"There are many approaches that would help Terri Schiavo," Dr. Hammesfahr explained. "I know, because I had the opportunity to personally examine her, her medical records, and her X-rays."
"It is time to help Terri, instead of just warehousing her," he added. "She would have benefited from treatment years ago, but it is not too late to start now."
"The patient is not in a coma," concluded Hammesfahr said after observing Terri. "She responds to specific people best. She tries to please others by doing activities for which she gets verbal praise."
He says "Terri's eyes clearly fixate on her family and she tries to follow the simple commands her parents give her. She looks at you, she can follow commands," Hammesfahr said.
Report of Neurologist William-Hammesfahr-MD-09-12-02
Affidavit of Alexander-Gimon-PhD-05-29-01
Affidavit of Alexander-T-Gimon-PhD-08-03
Affidavit of Jacob-Green-MD-PhD-05-01
Affidavit of James-A-Avery-MD-02-21-2001
Affidavit of Richard-Neubauer-MD-05-01
Affidavit of Dr. Fred Webber Affidavit of Sara-Green-Mele-Speech-Therapist-07-25-03
Affidavit of William-Scott-Russell-MD-05-01
Affidavit of Dr. Ralph Ankenman, MD
Affidavit of Dr. Beatrice Engstrand, MD
Affidavit of Dr. Alyse Eytan, MD
Affidavit of Dr. Harry Sawyer Goldsmith, MD
Affidavit of Dr. David Hopper, PhD
Affidavit of Dr. Richard Weidman, MD"
Affidavit of Dr. Lawrence Huntoon, MD
("It is unlikely that Terri currently needs the feeding tube."; Examination by Dr. Hammesfahr 9/12/02)
LOL-- be specific, please, if you are able.
may y_hweh forgive you.
Here's some info which directly relates to the quality of Terri's PVS diagnosis. They make for an informative and eye-opening read:
Consider this study. Forty PVS patients were studied. They were given therapy to promote communication. Seventeen of the patients (43%!) were found to be able to communicate. The conclusions? These patients were all originally misdiagnosed as PVS, and such a diagnosis cannot be easily made and requires a team of specialists.
Some admitted there are some things beyond any doctor's ken. There are no tests to confirm a person's "inner awareness," said Dr. Peter Bambakidis, a neurologist from Cleveland.
He might harvest her organs first, avaricious little creep that he is. And yes, I agree with your conclusion. All murderers like to at least try to cover their tracks.
Cant use organs from a starved and dehydrated person. They are ruined.
ping
Cute.
One of these days I'm gonna make my own web page and upload these picture's to my ISP's servers.
Free Terri and jail the rest!!!
Name calling does wonders for your agrument.
I take it for are a medical doctor and have examined Terri yourself.
If not then you sound like the one speading disinformation.
My wish is already in print and, between life and death, I chose LIFE.
Then by that logic, AP should say nothing. Name-calling is fitting for those who are obvious death trolls.
The polls say:"who should be responsible for making end of life choices" the answers are : 1)Spouse, 2)Parents
The polls should say"who should be responsible for making end of life choices': The answers are:1) Spouse who has live in lover with 2 illigitimate kids,2) Parents.
You would see a real difference in the answers.
I take it you didn't notice that DOCTORS' opinions were in my post? And I'm spreading disinformation by posting doctors' opinions for people to read themselves?
Your thinking is quite twisted.
I have seen the video and from my uneducated as in I'm not a doctor I would agree that she is not PVS as I understand PVS.
Having said that there are doctors who says that she is. These are doctors who actually examined her not ones that viewed a few second/minute video.
I have also heard it mentioned that this video was not allowed in as evidence during the last trial. I wonder what the reasoning was for that. Do you know?
See more here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/~adminmoderator/
(and, no I'm not a mod!)
The PVS debate is the wrong one. The messure should not be her present quality of life, i.e., whether she is curable, etc. but that who she is as she is must be respected as a disabled and handicapped person.
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