Dan Coats: “I rise in support of H.R. 1003 and I urge my fellow Senators also to vote in favor of this legislation. This bill simply…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 1003 and I urge my fellow Senators also to vote in favor of this legislation. This bill simply prohibits the use of Federal funds for the controversial and immoral practice of assisted suicide. It rightly keeps the Federal Government out of the business of killing. The bill prevents the use of funds to provide health care items or services "furnished for the purpose of causing * * * the death of any individual, such as by assisted suicide, euthanasia or mercy killing." Death of the individual has been included because proponents of assisted suicide, mercy killing, and euthanasia often use other terms to describe these activities, such as physician aid in dying. In fact, the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, which legalizes these actions under certain circumstances, specifically provides that "actions taken in accordance with [this law] shall not, for any purpose, constitute assisted suicide, mercy killing, or homicide"--even though the actions precisely are assisted suicide or mercy killing! The bill is very clear about the activity that should not receive Federal funds: an item or service furnished for the purpose of causing the death of any individual will not be funded by American taxpayers.”