Posted on 04/08/2005 4:46:56 AM PDT by chambley1
The U.S. Congress turned a family tragedy into a political travesty with the case of Terri Schiavo. By ignoring the Constitutional and legal principles of states rights, separation of powers and sanctity of marriage, we created a precedent that will come back to haunt us for generations to come.
The unprecedented Congressional action to pick sides in the fully adjudicated Schiavo family dispute, contributed to a 24/7 media circus over an issue that we were never factually, legally nor morally equipped to deal with. The media saturation has forced many Americans to confront such end of life decisions affecting their own loved ones, but that may be the only silver lining to an otherwise shameful chapter of Congressional history.
On the very same day that the House first voted to intervene within a familys personal tragedy, the House also approved a federal budget resolution that would limit the lives of millions of elderly and disabled people dependent on Medicaid funding for their long-term care. The budget resolution, which passed with the same Leaderships insistence, sets forth the Congresss spending priorities for the next decade.
The biggest cut called for reducing Medicaid by $20 billion. Seventy percent of the elderly and disabled in nursing homes are dependent on Medicaid funding for their subsistence. The House-passed cuts will force states, which must come up with an approximate 50 percent matching share, to strip coverage to millions of low-income and disabled people over the next five years. The irony here is that unlike Ms. Schiavo, most of the individuals who will be affected by these Medicaid cuts are fully aware of their condition, are capable of reflecting on their abandonment and, but not for their economic misfortune or the accident of their birth, might be capable of a much fuller and longer life.
We received no urging to maintain this sustenance from any of the groups aligned to extend Terri Schiavos biological life. Most of the members who voted to overturn the state courts decisions also voted to cut this long-term care funding.
The irony here is apparent only if you believe that quality of life matters too, that while life may be a terminal condition we have an obligation to work toward creating the kind of nurturing, caring environment that gives every family reason to celebrate the fullness of joy and reflection that makes the lives of their loved ones worth living.
The majority of my pro-life colleagues consistently vote to cut developmental child care, affordable health care and quality nursing home care. At the same time, most of them fight adamantly to maximize the number of births and the length of life.
Given the political and ideological chasm that exists in the Congress today, it would be naïve to think that the term culture of life can be expanded to recognize the needs of the born as well as the unborn and those abandoned in poorly funded nursing homes, as well as those in the spotlight of political exploitation. But wouldnt it be wonderful if the same compassionate concentration of emotion and immediacy of purpose could be focused on what this Congress was elected to be doing with its power.
Rep. James P. Moran is Virginia's 8th Congressional District Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Whoa. I just spit my coffee on that one. Is this guy familiar with the story at all?!
He's not the only Congressman Moron. There are plenty others. And some Congresswomen Morons too. Proudly hailing from a long line Congressional Morons.
What's that all about?
Congresscritter Jim Moran Moron actually used the words "States" and "Rights" together, to imply that there are such things.
Amazing how leftists will insist that there's no such thing, when it comes to things like.... say, enforcing a state's death penalty on a convicted mass murderer.... But when it comes to putting a helpless, innocent woman to death, then "the right of the state to follow her wishes is supreme... What do you mean, there's no proof that's what she really wanted... Her ex-husband says so! See? That's him, over there next to his "finance" and their two kids!"
Mark
I'm not surprised that Jim Moran would protect a man's "right" to physically abuse and kill his wife.
Like the Fla. Supreme Court did in the 2000 election, Jimmy?
the fact that anyone even asked THAT man's opinion of this case is ludicrous.
Thanks for the Moron Alert , Youre right the Schiavvo Morons are off and running again.
Congressman Moran isnt right often, but he is correct in saying.The U.S. Congress turned a family tragedy into a political travesty with the case of Terri Schiavo
Yo! Congressman Moran!
This is what ignoring the Constitution and the separation of powers looks like!
Sociopaths get all their sins forgiven if they tow the Liberal party line. Kind of like the forgiveness of sins if Satan ran a religion.
He is right up there with the worst human beings ever to be in Congress. Liberals love him.
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