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September 23, 2002
Union Of Orthodox Jewish Congregations Supports Atty. Gen.
Ashcroft’s Appeal & Effort To Strike Down Oregon’s Assisted
Suicide Law
Today,
the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – the nation’s
largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization – through its Institute for
Public Affairs, stated its support for an appeal filed by the U.S.
Department of Justice seeking to overturn a federal trial-court ruling
earlier this year which blocked a policy directive announced by Attorney
General John Ashcroft clarifying that federally controlled drugs may not
be used by physicians to assist their patients commit suicide.
At issue in the case is a November, 2001 directive issued by Attorney
General Ashcroft to D.E.A. Administrator Asa Hutchinson which reinstated
the understanding of the federal Controlled Substances Act that was in
place until former-Attorney General Reno issued a policy directive
allowing the use of federally controlled drugs for assisted suicides in
June, 1998. Attorney General Ashcroft’s directive determined “that
assisting suicide is not a ‘legitimate medical purpose’ within the meaning
of [the Controlled Substances Act]” and, just as significantly, the
directive stated that the use of federally controlled drugs for pain
treatment ought to be “promoted.” The State of Oregon challenged the
directive in defense of its “Death With Dignity” law and a federal trial
court ruled in the State’s favor in April, 2001. Today, the Justice
Department appealed that ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit.
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations has worked diligently in recent
years with other concerned groups such as the American Medical Association
and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to achieve this policy goal.
We worked on a bipartisan basis with Senators Don Nickles (R-OK) and Joe
Lieberman (D-CT) to achieve this result legislatively through the Pain
Relief Promotion Act of 2000, but were unsuccessful.
Nathan Diament, director of the Union’s Institute, issued the following
statement:
The
Orthodox Jewish community supports the appeal filed today by the Attorney
General and the Bush Administration which pursues a policy consistent with
ancient Jewish values recognizing the infinite value and sanctity of human
life and seeking to preserve it, while at the same time taking all
responsible measures to comfort the ill. The Bible instructs us to “surely
heal” the ill, not to speed their departure from this earth. The Attorney
General’s directive restricting the resort to physician assisted suicide
was the correct law and policy on this matter and we are confident that
the appellate courts will so rule.
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