A couple of weeks ago, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser approved legislation that made Washington D.C. the seventh jurisdiction to allow terminally ill patients the right to end their lives.
The legislation, sponsored by Council member Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) is modeled after the nation’s first physician-assisted suicide law, enacted in Oregon. It will allow doctors to prescribe fatal medication to patients with less than six months to live. Patients must make two requests over a period of two weeks and ingest the drugs themselves.
Bowser has not publicly commented on the legislation, and refused through a spokesman to explain why she signed it. It was one of the most emotionally charged issues of the year in D.C., drawing hundreds of supporters and opponents to Council chambers and bringing some lawmakers to tears as they shared personal stories that influenced their votes.
Yesterday, fresh off election claims that he would continue to waste taxpayer money on emails, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) told the press that he would be using big government powers to block the D.C. Council’s decision.
Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that oversees District affairs, told reporters Monday that he fundamentally disagrees with the bill.
“Assisted suicide is not something we take lightly,” he said at a news conference during which he also said he’d like to see federal agencies relocate outside the Washington region.
Chaffetz’s fundamentals only seem to stretch as far as a microphone as Council member Mary Cheh explains.
“This is entirely a local matter and he may have philosophical or perhaps even religious objections, but we have made our own choice and it should be respected,” Cheh said. “Is he not aware there are a number of other states that have approved this? Why isn’t he using his federal powers to intervene with them? It’s only because under our degraded democracy there are some members of Congress who think they can use us a plaything.”
Others have naively said that Congress has better things to do than to meddle in district business. This is Rep. Chaffetz. He has one thing to do and that’s act as a part of the Republican attack-dog squad. There is no morality to a person like Chaffetz, just a grab for power. Remember, Chaffetz is the guy who got indignant about Donald Trump and his relationship to women, only to throw his own daughters under the bus moments later. He’s the bottom of the barrel when it comes to ethics.