Sherrod Brown: “Mr. Speaker, when I learned that this Congress would be considering legislation on physician-assisted suicide, I foresaw…”

“Mr. Speaker, when I learned that this Congress would be considering legislation on physician-assisted suicide, I foresaw a lengthy discussion on the complex moral, legal, and ethical issues surrounding the issue because I am still examining this issue myself. But in fact, none of that has occurred because the legislation being considered does nothing. This bill is a solution in search of a problem. Let me be clear again. Physician-assisted suicide is not legal today. No Federal dollars are being used for this purpose and, in fact, the agencies that give money to doctors and hospitals specifically prohibit the use of Federal funds for this purpose. So by simply considering a ban on moneys that are already prohibited, we are ignoring the truly sensitive ethical and cultural issues raised by physician-assisted suicide. We are leaving unanswered the most pressing questions in this debate. Should individuals be entitled to choose for themselves how and when they may end their lives? Is there a constitutional right to privacy or equal protection which warrants such a policy? Are health care providers obligated to help mentally competent and terminally ill patients end their lives? Today instead of exploring these tough questions and learning from providers like Hospice on the front lines of end-of-life care, we are considering an empty piece of legislation.”