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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Amy Auth
202-225-2071

United States Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.-5) is pleased to announce that the U.S. House of Representatives took emergency action early this morning to save the life of Terri Schiavo. The House joined the U.S. Senate in passing legislation permitting a federal district court to review Schiavo’s case. President Bush signed the bill this morning.

Rep. Foxx made the following remarks during debate on the House floor last night:

“Mr. Speaker, it is a sad day in America when a society as great as ours and filled with as many opportunities as ours, turns its back on one of it’s most vulnerable, disabled citizens. It is unfortunate that it has come to this.

“Those who have said that this issue should be a private and personal matter are correct. I agree with them. Congress has no business interjecting its opinion in the ‘end of life’ decisions of any family. But that is not what we’re doing here. Terry Schiavo is not ‘brain dead.’ She is not on artificial life support. She is not terminally ill or in the process of dying. She is brain damaged, but if given the chance to be rehabilitated again, there’s no telling what she can do.

“Congress is merely saying to the nation that we think a federal court should look into this case and determine whether or not her Constitutional right to life has been infringed upon.

“‘End of life’ decisions are excruciatingly difficult for any family to have to make. I don’t think anyone here in this legislative body wants to interject their opinion in any family’s decision.

“But starving a woman to death – when death is not imminent – is wrong. Terri Schiavo deserves to have her Constitutional rights protected.

“Mr. Speaker, my thoughts and prayers are with Terri and her parents and siblings tonight. I just hope she doesn’t starve to death before her constitutionally protected rights are given back to her.”

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