[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 25308]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   PLIGHT OF TERRI SCHINDLER SCHIAVO

  (Mr. SMITH of New Jersey asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, Terry Schiavo smiles, tries to 
talk to her family and friends, and moves her arms and legs on command. 
But at the direction of her husband, and against the will of the rest 
of the family, her feeding tube was removed last Wednesday.
  This is what Terri is experiencing right now in this, the 7th day of 
her court-ordered dehydration and starvation: Extreme thirst, nausea 
and stomach cramping, dry skin, dizziness, extreme headaches, cramping 
in her arms and legs because she is losing electrolytes, sodium and 
potassium in her blood. Her mouth is very dry. Her saliva is thick.
  And as the abuse continues, soon her lips and her mouth will crack, 
she will bleed, and her heart rate will increase, her blood pressure 
will drop, and she will probably experience stroke. She will finally go 
into shock as her whole body begins to shut down.
  No one, Mr. Speaker, deserves to be treated with such incredible 
cruelty. Terri's life is valuable and she should not be sentenced to 
death because she has a disability or someone feels she is a burden.
  Hopefully, the Florida Legislature will act in time and the Governor 
will intervene.

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