While the health “care” bill just passed by the House will not cover assisted suicide, it has no problem with withholding food and water. Here is what is being reported at CNSnews.com:
Under the heading, “Prohibition on the Promotion of Assisted Suicide,”
the bill says “information provided to meet the requirements of
subsection (a)(2) shall not include advanced directives or other
planning tools that list or describe as an option suicide, assisted
suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing, regardless of legality.”
The next paragraph says: “Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed
to apply to or affect any option to?(A) withhold or withdraw of medical
treatment or medical care; (B) withhold or withdraw of nutrition or
hydration; and (C) provide palliative or hospice care or use an item,
good, benefit, or service furnished for the purpose of alleviating pain
or discomfort, even if such use may increase the risk of death, so long
as such item, good, benefit, or service is not also furnished for the
purpose of causing, or the purpose of assisting in causing, death, for
any reason.
Interesting language. You can cut off someone’s food and water even if it increases the risk of death, but you can’t if it is for the express purpose of killing them. I think this is the argument that the Soviets used in denying food and water to millions of Ukrainians.
