mr. speaker , in america we do not let people starve an animal to death . 
we do not let them starve prisoners to death . 
but that is what some would do to terri schiavo . 
this is about the rights of a disabled person . 
terri schiavo is not brain dead or comatose or unconscious . 
she is not terminally ill , she is not dying , she is not on artificial life support . 
all she needs is a feeding tube to eat . 
but so do many disabled people . 
terri has a brain injury , but otherwise she is healthy . 
seven years after the injury , her husband suddenly remembered terri 's wishes about life and death . 
her estranged husband has not allowed her any therapy or treatments or rehabilitation in more than a decade since he won the malpractice award , even though many doctors believe that they would help her condition . 
in fact , she was speaking some words before her treatment stopped . 
she may not even need the help of a feeding tube if given therapy . 
doctors who have seen her certify that she can swallow . 
mr. speaker , this woman needs help , not a death sentence . 
she needs the warmth of a family that cares for her . 
she needs the help of doctors who want to treat her , instead of recommending that she die . 
but her family is not even allowed to help her because of a judge 's ruling , a judge who in 5 years has not even bothered to visit her once to see for himself that terri is not comatose , that she is not unconscious , that she is not in a vegetative state . 
if prisoners on death row are guaranteed federal review of their cases , terri schiavo deserves at least as much consideration . 
the 14th amendment of the constitution says : `` no state shall deprive any person of life , liberty or property without due process of law. '' this means florida may not starve terri to death unless every legal recourse to prevent it has been taken . 
this is a constitutional right . 
terri 's life is valuable . 
she deserves a right to live . 
the disability community is horrified at what is happening to terri , and so are millions of americans . 
i urge every one of my colleagues to have compassion on this disabled woman and allow a federal court to review the facts and her constitutional rights . 
