mr. speaker , many families have had to make incredibly difficult decisions regarding medical support for their loved ones . 
as technology continues to advance , there will be even more heart-wrenching decisions ahead , and any of us could be involved in one . 
the proper role of the federal government in such decisions is not self-evident to me . 
certainly , we should not have congress debate , case-by-case , what action is or is not appropriate for a particular patient . 
government at some level may have a role to ensure that the patient is not the victim of a spouse or family members who find the patient 's medical disability inconvenient . 
my view is that when in doubt , society should err on the side of life . 
i am concerned that in this case most members of congress have not had the opportunity for careful study and consideration of the issues raised . 
it has come before us late , when time is short and the consequences of various steps are unclear . 
here , i will vote for the bill before us . 
my understanding is that the measure is narrowly drawn and will set no precedent . 
it essentially provides for another look at the unusual facts of this case without dictating a result . 
it is very distressing that anyone would look at these matters from a political viewpoint . 
core beliefs about when life begins and ends are far too important for any such calculations . 
in fact , i hope each citizen will spend time thinking about how our country can best deal with such cases and praying that we get it right . 
