[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 25812]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE LAW

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I am pleased this morning that the Senate 
thus far is functioning the way it should when it comes to new 
controversial matters such as my State's physician-assisted suicide 
law. I have been forced to filibuster the tax bill since late last week 
because at that time there was an effort to stuff the Nickles 
legislation into that package in the dead of night. This legislation 
troubles me greatly because I believe it will cause unnecessary 
suffering for patients in every corner of the country. It involves law 
enforcement--specifically, the Drug Enforcement Administration--in a 
process that is so sensitive with respect to helping patients who are 
suffering around our country.
  This legislation has never been marked up by the committee of 
jurisdiction in the Senate. It has never been open to amendment by the 
Senate. It has not cleared even one of the traditional hurdles to which 
important legislation is subjected when it is introduced in the Senate.
  This is legislation that has over 50 leading health organizations, 
including the American Cancer Society, stating that it is going to hurt 
pain care for the dying. It is also fair to say that the senior Senator 
from Oklahoma, Mr. Nickles, has a number of organizations that support 
his efforts. When we have a number of organizations, respected 
organizations, that disagree about a very sensitive, totally new issue 
before the Congress, the Senate certainly should move carefully to 
evaluate the consequences of its actions.
  I spoke with the President of the United States about this matter 
twice on Monday. I was pleased to read the comments of the President 
expressing concern about the bill's impact on pain care and on 
physicians. I am absolutely convinced that if this legislation were to 
become law, there would be many health care providers in this country 
who are opposed to physician-assisted suicide, as I am, who would be 
very fearful about treating pain aggressively because the Nickles 
legislation criminalizes decisions with respect to pain management.
  The people of Oregon, who have a ballot in their hand such as this 
one right now, want to know that this ballot really counts. The people 
of Oregon, in coffee shops and beauty parlors all over the State, when 
they are considering how to vote right now, are asking themselves: Does 
this ballot really count? When we vote on a matter that is critical to 
us, particularly on a measure that has historically been left to the 
States, we want to make sure that people 3,000 miles away won't 
substitute their personal moral and religious beliefs for ours on a 
matter that has historically been left to us to decide.
  I can tell the people of Oregon now that their vote still counts. As 
of today, whether you vote for my party or the party of Senator 
Nickles, it doesn't matter. This ballot, as of this morning in the 
State of Oregon, still counts, regardless of whether you are a Democrat 
or a Republican, a Liberal, a Conservative, Independent. Regardless of 
your political persuasion, as of now in the State of Oregon, this 
ballot still counts.
  Your vote is important. I hope folks at home exercise that right. 
Their vote still means something. I am going to do my best to see that 
it continues to count when Congress reconvenes after the election.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho is recognized.

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