Maine delegation divided over feeding-tube vote By The Associated Press, By The Associated Press | March 22, 2005
Members of Maine's congressional delegation were divided in votes over the future of Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged woman in Florida, with some saying Congress should not be involved and others saying intervention was warranted.
Democratic Rep. Michael Michaud voted early Monday to give Schiavo's parents the right to file suit in federal court over the withdrawal of food and medical treatment needed to sustain her life.
Hours after the bill passed 203-58, a judge was asked to allow Schiavo's feeding tube to be reinserted. But U.S. District Judge James Whittemore on Tuesday refused to order the reinsertion of Schiavo's feeding tube.
A spokeswoman said Michaud acknowledges it's a sensitive topic, but also very important to Schiavo's family. "After evaluating it, he felt it was reasonable to have the federal courts take a look at it," said spokeswoman Monica Castellanos.
Maine's other congressman, Democratic Rep. Tom Allen, did not vote. But Allen said Congress has no business in a case that was dealt with hurriedly and has been litigated extensively.
"Nobody in the House or Senate knows what Terri Schiavo's wishes were," Allen said.
On Sunday, the Senate passed the bill by voice vote, with Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins adding her voice to those opposed.
Collins said it was "a mistake" for Congress to intervene in end-of-life care decisions that should be made by family members, Schiavo's doctors and those who knew Schiavo and what her intentions would be.
"This has been litigated in state courts for the past eight years. It is inappropriate for Congress to try to step in at the eleventh hour and substitute its judgment," said Collins, a Republican. "We in Congress are not family members of Terry Schiavo, we have not examined her. We should not be involved in what is a very painful and difficult decision."
Sen. Olympia Snowe did not vote, a spokeswoman said. Calling the case "tragic," the Republican said she has concerns about inappropriate government involvement in such deeply personal decisions.
"At the same time, given that a life is in the balance and such deep divisions exist within the family, I do believe it is appropriate in this instance to allow for an additional, final judicial hearing and that is what the recently passed legislation allows," Snowe said in a statement.
Michaud has acknowledged his "pro-life" label on abortion and votes during state legislative service for parental notification and a late-term ban. Anti-abortion activists have taken a leading role in the Schiavo right-to-die case, saying the moral issues at stake are identical.
Maine voters are familiar with right-to-die issues. An initiative in 2000 sought to make Maine the second state to allow doctors to legally help patients die. The referendum proposal was narrowly defeated.
Thanks D, we have had it and the roll call up since sunday night.
I and Pastor jsut met with a guy who pastor went through basic with 43 years ago, he retired from the Corp after more than 30 years with stars on his shoulders. He said to Pastor:
"Bob, did you ever think we were fighting so that judges could use hearsay evidence to kill a woman?"
Eventually we are going to publish a whole lot of things from these meettings.
Thanks for the ping,
Jake