mr. speaker , on december 3 , 1963 , theresa marie schindler was born in pennsylvania .  at the time , i was pregnant with my first child and my beautiful daughter , danene , was born 5 days later on december 8. she is my best friend and today she , too , is a mom .  i certainly can relate to mr. and mrs. schindler 's love for their daughter and their passionate fight to keep her alive .  mothers have a precious bond with their daughters .  the issues that we are discussing tonight are not because those who may speak on one side or the other are right or wrong or pro-life or pro-choice .  the issue here is what terri would have wanted .  it is not what we would want for ourselves or even our loved ones .  we should not be second-guessing a patient 's wishes .  that is not what we were elected to congress to do , nor do i believe that our forefathers would have ever wanted us to be involved .  terri schiavo 's constitutional right to make the decision she felt comfortable with is being usurped by her parents and now this congress by means of this private bill .  jay wolfson was appointed guardian ad litem for theresa marie schiavo .  i know jay wolfson and often called upon him when i was a state senator chairing the health care committee , because i knew that he could always give me an impartial review of controversial matters relating to health care .  jay wolfson 's report to governor bush and the sixth judicial circuit dated december 1 , 2003 , reviewed the court testimony and statements made by all family members .  it is important to know that the schindler family members stated that even if theresa had told them of her intention to have artificial nutrition withdrawn , they would not do it .  throughout this painful and difficult time , these same family members acknowledged that terri was in an irreversible , persistent vegetative state .  today , i burned up the phone calling health care professionals that i know back in florida .  these are people who make life-and-death decisions and realize that the 5-year-old video we see on tv of the eye blinking and apparent movements are an involuntary reflexive action known as part of the autonomic nervous system .  almost everybody in the health care profession that i spoke to are avid pro-life people , but they know the sad facts .  their comments were almost to a person , something to the effect of 15 years of being in a persistent vegetative state is far too long to suffer .  to second guess the florida legislature , florida courts , and terri 's choice is just plain wrong .  we should not be engaged in second guessing many neurologists and on-site health care profession always who have seen the patient , performed tests , and attested to the courts that terri is not going to recover .  this is a very difficult decision that i know does not come easily for any member of this body .  it is gut wrenching and reaches deep into our hearts .  my daughter , who was born 5 days after terri schiavo , is a health care professional , who , when i asked if she would want me to battle to keep a feeding tube in if she had not signed a living will , said to me , and i want the members to bear in mind that she is a health care professional who deals day in and day out with patients with feeding tubes , but the difference is that they are not in a vegetative state , her response to me was sufficient to help me make up my mind .  she said to me , no , mom .  if you really loved me , you would want me to have rest and meet the lord . '' 