Ron Wyden: “late last week, the Nation witnessed the end to a saga that was heartrending not only for the medical circumstances of…”

“late last week, the Nation witnessed the end to a saga that was heartrending not only for the medical circumstances of the young woman at its center, but for the tragic controversy that surrounded it. The Congress has spoken once about Terri Schiavo, and in the near future the Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is expected to hold hearings about one of the issues Ms. Schiavo's situation brought to the spotlight: the rights of the incapacitated and our society's responsibility toward that community. I hope the Congress will now begin a thoughtful examination of this and issues relating to end-of-life care. For that reason, I rise today to urge and encourage caution as the Senate moves forward. George Washington called the Senate the saucer to cool the legislation. I would say the Senate, in fact, must cool its own passions before proceeding. The alternative is unacceptable. The Senate must not revisit the dangerous zero-sum game of 2 weeks ago, creating a false debate between those who seek protection and those who desire choices and actually sacrificing one of those rights to secure the other. This body's responsibility is to find solutions that preserve both. Protecting the vulnerable and preserving end-of-life choices are not mutually exclusive.”