In the Senate, where the legislation was expected to face more challenges, an influential Democrat has come out in favor. Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Wyden testified against the bill in a Senate panel. The Democrat, who has before backed federal oversight of health care, this time said that the government should stay out of the doctor-patient relationship. If the bill emerges from committee, a Senate floor vote could be weeks or months away. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to take up a piece of legislation next week that could bring Oregon's assisted-suicide law to a halt.
Passage is likely.
The Pain Relief Promotion Act, with bipartisan support in the House and the backing of major medical groups, was expected to win approval of a House panel at press time. Republicans on the House Commerce Committee back the bill and four Democrats on the committee are co-sponsors. The controversial Oregon Death with Dignity Act, first passed in 1994 and confirmed in a 1997 repeal bid, has caused Oregon to fly repeatedly into the cogs of federal law. The Pain Relief Promotion Act would clarify that using federally controlled drugs for assisted suicide is a violation. If the legislation passes, doctors who prescribe monitored drugs for suicide could lose their prescribing credentials.