REJECTING THE RIGHT TO DIE

November 1999
		Congress has approved legislation that would penalize physicians who assist in suicides. The vote overrides an Oregon law from 1997 that allows doctors to prescribe lethal doses of painkillers for their patients.

Forum Introduction. Is effective legislation attainable? Was Oregon a good model? Is euthanasia legal? How do insurance agencies react to doctor-assisted suicide? Does a dying person have different rights? Manipulating a dying person's decision   Oct. 27, 1999: The House votes against assisted suicide. Nov. 24, 1998: Assisted suicide in Oregon. Browse the NewsHour's coverage of health.     Congressman Dave Weldon Oregon Department of Justice U.S. House of Representatives	Michael Morell of Kansas City asks: Are there any forms of euthanasia that are still legal after Congress passed this most recent bill? David Schuman, Deputy Attorney General, Oregon responds: Congress has not passed the bill. It passed the House, but it has not passed the Senate, and will not come before that chamber until after the new year. If it does pass, the only way an Oregon resident can avail himself of the statute is by having a physician prescribe a drug that is not listed as a "controlled substance" by the Federal Government. That is technically possible but extremely difficult and unlikely. Incidentally, you refer to Oregon's law as permitting "euthanasia." That term usually refers to situations in which one party decides to terminate another party's life, allegedly for the other party's own good. That is still illegal in Oregon. Republican Congressman Dave Weldon of Florida responds: Mr. Morrell, To the best of my knowledge, there are no forms of euthanasia that are legal under U.S. federal law.