We were at the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform last night, attending a hearing where members of Congress discussed a resolution to block the D.C. Death with Dignity Act from becoming law. As we expected, Committee voted to override D.C.’s assisted dying statute on a nearly straight party-line vote, 22 to 14 (one Democrat voted in favor and one Republican against the resolution).
Resolution HJ Res 27, now proceeds to the House of Representatives for a floor vote. The deadline for Congress to act is February 17; the Senate must pass the resolution by then and the President sign it for it to take effect. Though Senate leaders have hinted they won’t be putting the resolution up for a vote, the OGR Committee Chair, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), has vowed to gut the D.C. law by withholding Congress’ funding for it.
It’s all hands on deck here at the Death with Dignity National Center. It’s now or never. Will you chip in $25 to help ramp up the fight in this final stretch?
D.C. Councilmember Cheh, her colleagues on the City Council, and Mayor Muriel Bowser went all-out to pass this law to provide D.C. residents with this end-of-life option. D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton continues to fight Congress tooth and nail.
You’ve done a lot to keep Congress from getting in the way. We would never have made it this far in the District without your activism and your generous support. But our opponents are pouring resources into this fight, and it’s down to the wire.
Please support the fight for D.C. residents to have the right to decide how they will live their final days.
2 Comments.
Elaine Snyder
Please don’t stop this one, last right to decide how much pain we want to endure at the end of our life.
Cindy Merrill
Thank you Death with Dignity National Center for all you have done to oppose this outrageous attempt by some members of the US Congress to thwart DC’s Death with Dignity Act which was passed by the duly elected leaders in Washington, DC and supported by the majority of their constituency. These members of Congress proclaim that they are in favor of personal liberty, individual responsibility and self determination in medical decisions. This action by them is a breach of trust. I hope that the other members in the House and Senate show some respect towards the people in the District of Columbia and vote against this Resolution.
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