IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 80 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that assisted suicide (sometimes referred 

to as death with dignity, end-of-life options, aid-in-dying, or similar 

phrases) puts everyone, including those most vulnerable, at risk of deadly 

harm and undermines the integrity of the health care system. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 

Mr. WENSTRUP (for himself, Mr. CORREA, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. 

LIPINSKI, Mr. HARRIS, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. ROTHFUS, and 

Mr. SUOZZI) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that assisted suicide 

(sometimes referred to as death with dignity, end-oflife options, aid-in-dying, or similar phrases) puts everyone, including those most vulnerable, at risk of deadly 

harm and undermines the integrity of the health care 

system. 

Whereas ‘‘suicide’’ means the act of intentionally ending 

one’s own life, preempting death from disease, accident, 

injury, age, or other condition; 

Whereas ‘‘assisting in a suicide’’ means knowingly and willingly prescribing, providing, dispensing, or distributing to 

an individual a substance, device, or other means that, if 


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taken, used, ingested, or administered as directed, expected, or instructed, will, with reasonable medical certainty, result in the death of the individual, preempting 

death from disease, accident, injury, age, or other condition; 

Whereas society has a longstanding policy of supporting suicide prevention such as through the efforts of many public and private suicide prevention programs, the benefits 

of which could be denied under a public policy of assisted 

suicide; 

Whereas assisted suicide most directly threatens the lives of 

people who are elderly, experience depression, have a disability, or are subject to emotional or financial pressure 

to end their lives; 

Whereas the Oregon Health Authority’s annual reports reveal 

that pain or the fear of pain is listed second to last (25 

percent) among the reasons cited by all patients seeking 

lethal drugs since 1998, while the top five reasons cited 

are psychological and social concerns: ‘‘losing autonomy’’ 

(92 percent), ‘‘less able to engage in activities that make 

life enjoyable’’ (90 percent), ‘‘loss of dignity’’ (79 percent), ‘‘losing control of bodily functions’’ (48 percent), 

and ‘‘burden on family friends/caregivers’’ (41 percent); 

Whereas the United States Supreme Court has ruled twice 

(in Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacco v. Quill) that 

there is no constitutional right to assisted suicide, that 

the Government has a legitimate interest in prohibiting 

assisted suicide, and that such prohibitions rationally relate to ‘‘protecting the vulnerable from coercion’’ and 

‘‘protecting disabled and terminally ill people from prejudice, negative and inaccurate stereotypes, and ‘societal 

indifference;’ ’’ 


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Whereas clearly expressing that assisted suicide is not a legitimate health care service, Congress passed, with a 

nearly unanimous vote, and President Bill Clinton signed, 

the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act to prevent 

the use of Federal funds for any item or service, including advocacy, provided for the purpose of causing, or assisting in causing, the death of any individual such as by 

assisted suicide, euthanasia, or mercy killing; 

Whereas a handful of States have authorized assisted suicide, 

but over 30 States have rejected over 200 attempts at legalization since 1994; 

Whereas States that authorize assisted suicide for terminally 

ill patients do not require that such patients receive psychological screening or treatment, though studies show 

that the overwhelming majority of patients contemplating 

suicide experience depression; 

Whereas the laws of such States contain no requirement for 

a medical attendant to be present at the time the lethal 

dose is taken, used, ingested, or administered to intervene in the event of medical complications; 

Whereas such State laws contain no requirement that a qualified monitor be present to assure that the patient is 

knowingly and voluntarily taking, using, ingesting, or administering the lethal dose; 

Whereas such State laws contain no requirement to secure lethal medication if unwanted or if death occurs before 

such medication is used; 

Whereas such State laws do not prevent family members, 

heirs, or health care providers from pressuring patients 

to request assisted suicide; 


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Whereas such States qualify some patients for assisted suicide by using a broad definition of ‘‘terminal disease’’ 

and ‘‘going to die in six months or less’’ that includes 

diseases (such as diabetes or HIV) that, if appropriately 

treated, would not otherwise result in death within six 

months; 

Whereas it is extremely difficult even for the most experienced doctors to accurately prognosticate a six-month life 

expectancy as required, making such a prognosis a prediction, not a certainty; 

Whereas reporting requirements vary by State, but when required, rely on prescribing physicians or dispensing pharmacists to self-report; 

Whereas such reporting is neither conducted by an objective 

third party nor of sufficient depth and accuracy to effectively monitor the occurrence of assisted suicide; 

Whereas there is an astounding lack of transparency in the 

practice of assisted suicide to the extent that State health 

departments and other authorities admittedly have no 

method of knowing if it is being practiced within the 

bounds of State laws and have no funding or authority 

to make such a determination; 

Whereas some State laws actively conceal assisted suicide by 

directing the physician to list the cause of death as the 

underlying condition without reference to death by suicide; 

Whereas the confidential nature of end-of-life decisions makes 

it virtually impossible to effectively monitor a physician’s 

behavior to prevent abuses, making any number of safeguards insufficient; 


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Whereas the cost of lethal medication is far less costly than 

many life-saving treatments, which threatens to restrict 

treatment options, especially for disadvantaged and vulnerable persons, as has happened in several known cases 

and presumably many more unknown in which insurers 

have denied and/or delayed coverage for life-saving care 

while offering to cover assisted suicide; and 

Whereas access to personal assistance services such as inhome hospice and palliative care, home health care aides, 

and nursing care/nursing assistance is regretfully limited 

and subject to long waiting lists in many areas, placing 

systemic pressure on patients in need of such personal 

assistance services to resort to assisted suicide: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that the 

3 Federal Government should ensure that every person fac4 ing the end of their life has access to the best quality and 

5 comprehensive medical care, including palliative, in-home, 

6 or hospice care, tailored to their needs and that the Fed7 eral Government should not adopt or endorse policies or 

8 practices that support, encourage, or facilitate suicide or 

9 assisted suicide, whether by physicians or others. 

Æ 


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