[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 122 (Wednesday, October 4, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9842-S9843]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            ASSISTED SUICIDE

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I come to the floor tonight to discuss the 
possibility that there will be an effort very shortly to override 
Oregon's assisted suicide law as part of a package that includes 
legislation that is extremely important to the country, such as 
legislation that would protect women from domestic violence, such as 
legislation that would also deal with sex trafficking--an extraordinary 
scourge that victimizes women and children. I think it would be 
extremely unfortunate to victimize the victims in that way. It is 
clearly not in the public interest.
  Oregon's assisted suicide law involves a very controversial matter. I 
happen to be against assisted suicide, against the Oregon law, but the 
bill that cleared the Judiciary Committee on a 10-8 vote, a very narrow 
vote, is strongly opposed by the American Cancer Society. The American 
Cancer Society believes that legislation will harm those in pain. I am 
very hopeful that rather than tie this assisted suicide legislation to 
vitally needed legislation that would protect the victims of domestic 
violence and women and children from sex trafficking, the Senate would 
adhere to the agreement that was entered into in August.
  In August, on a bipartisan basis, the Senate made it very clear, and 
I specifically addressed this on the floor of the Senate, that I was 
open to a fair fight, to an open debate on the assisted suicide 
question. In fact, I made it very clear that while I intend to use 
every opportunity to speak on the floor of the Senate and make sure the 
Members understand, for example, that the American Cancer Society 
believes this legislation will harm those in pain, I was willing to 
accept the will of the Senate on any cloture vote that might be 
scheduled. That was the agreement entered into in August. It provided 
for a fair fight on this issue.

  Tonight we are told that there may be the possibility, as I have 
touched on, of an effort to override Oregon's assisted suicide law. By 
the way, Oregon is the only State in the country that has such 
legislation. It would be linked to the other desperately needed 
measures, such as the legislation to protect women victimized by 
domestic violence. I hope that will not be the case. I would have to 
oppose very strongly that kind of effort. It seems to me it is not in 
the public interest, and it is particularly regrettable since it runs 
contrary to the spirit of what was agreed to in August: That there 
would be an opportunity for both sides on the floor of the Senate to 
have this debate about assisted suicide; I would have a chance to 
address the issue in some detail, but if there were an effort to file 
cloture, I would accept the will of the Senate on that measure.
  In addition, we just learned in the last few minutes there is a 
possibility schoolchildren in 700 rural school districts around the 
country could also be held hostage because, again, there may be an 
objection to the county payments bill legislation authored by Senator 
Craig of Idaho and myself--again, bipartisan. There may be an objection 
to that bill, again, on the grounds that somehow it should be examined 
some more and possibly linked again to the assisted suicide question.
  I think, again, these issues ought to be considered on the merits. 
The county payments legislation passed this body by unanimous consent; 
100 Senators agreed to make sure that these schoolchildren in 700 rural 
school districts got a fair shake. We have been working with the House. 
We have now come up with an agreement among the House, the Senate, and 
the White House. I think we can pass it 100-0 in the Senate. But we are 
told someone is going to object to the county payments legislation for 
the unrelated reason that they are not able to work out an arrangement 
that allows them to throw the Oregon assisted suicide law in the trash 
can on an arbitrary basis.
  What the Senate worked out in August was fair to all sides. It 
ensured that we have a chance to discuss the matter of assisted 
suicide. It is a controversial question. I personally am

[[Page S9843]]

against assisted suicide. I voted against the Oregon law twice. I voted 
against Federal funding for assisted suicide. But I oppose the 
legislation being advanced here to overturn Oregon's law for the same 
reasons that the American Cancer Society does. It will hurt patients in 
pain.
  I felt compelled to come to the floor of the Senate and express my 
concern. I think it is not in the public interest to link desperately 
needed legislation such as the bill to protect the victims of domestic 
violence to the assisted suicide law. It is not appropriate to hold 
hostage the victims of sex trafficking to the Oregon assisted suicide 
law. I hope we will not see what has been raised as a possibility in 
the last few minutes, and that is to hold up the county payments 
legislation--which has been agreed to by the House and the Senate 
negotiators and those at the White House--that would provide a lifeline 
to 700 rural school districts all across the country.
  I hope that bill and the other vitally needed legislation will not be 
held up because a Senator decides he or she wants to throw the assisted 
suicide override into unrelated legislation that this country needs so 
greatly. I made it clear last August I was open to being fair to both 
sides. That is why we entered into an agreement for a fair fight. I 
said I would respect the will of the Senate on a cloture vote if it 
came to that. I think we ought to adhere to that August agreement and 
not link this matter of throwing Oregon's law into the trash can by 
tucking it into unrelated legislation.
  Frankly, those who are trying to tuck this override of Oregon's 
assisted suicide law into other legislation--such as the bill that 
would protect the victims of domestic violence--are doing a tremendous 
disservice to the women victimized by domestic violence, to the victims 
of sex trafficking, to the schoolchildren who desperately need that 
county payments legislation. These bills ought to be considered on 
their merits. That was agreed to back in August with respect to the 
assisted suicide legislation. I will do everything in my power to 
insist the Senate adhere to what was agreed on last August.
  I thank my colleague and friend from Illinois for his thoughtfulness.

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