Salt of the Earth: In Session

In Session: legislative update
October 2000

PNTR just begins the fight for human rights in China
Can an assisted suicide ban survive congressional deal-making?

PNTR just begins the fight for human rights in China
The September 19 vote by the U.S. Senate makes Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status for China a reality after 20 years of annual review, discussion, and protest. The bill has already passed the House and has enjoyed the firm and vocal support of President Bill Clinton who is certain to sign it into law.

To U.S. political leaders, achieving PNTR with China marks the end of a long, sometimes bitter ideological struggle, but human rights and social justice activists say their work is just beginning. The U.S. Catholic bishops had lobbied hard against PNTR status for China, arguing that a strong vote against PNTR would send a "clear signal" on human and reliious rights to both the U.S. and China. "Neither our government nor the leaders of China have taken seriously enough the deep concerns our Conference and many others have expressed regarding the suppression of religious freedom and other violations of human rights," Cardinal Bernard Law, chair of the United States Catholic Conference's Committee on International Policy, wrote in an April 12 letter to House members.

Network, the Catholic social justice lobby, neither supported nor opposed the granting of PNTR status to China, instead calling the debate "a meaningless and dangerous exercise" because it obscured the necessary criticism of overall economic structural problems.

In a statement released in May, before the House of Representatives passed the PNTR measure, Network lobbyists said: "We believe that it is important to redirect the ongoing debate to the far more critical issues of the economic structures and the global trade policies that currently abuse workers, weaken domestic economies and devastate the environment."

In its broader global economic justice campaign, Network opposes the "global financial architecture" of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization. The outcome of decisions made by these organizations "has too frequently been worsening poverty levels globally, growing income disparities, abuses of workers' rights, lack of citizen participation in decisions which affect their livelihood, and environmental degradation," says Network's statement.

Network also noted a tendency to engage in "China-bashing" in much of the debate about PNTR status. "Network does not condone human rights abuses wherever they occur, however, we recognize that China is not the only country that engages in such practices and should not be singled out on that basis," says the statement, which also points out that other nations with recorded human rights violations and unfair trade practices are already active U.S. trading partners and WTO members.

Instead, Network advises Catholics to continue to call for structural reform and praises the voices raised in the past year in Seattle and Washington. "They are indicative of a rise in global consciousness, especially among youth," its statement says. Network encourages Congress members and all citizens to study the "Global Sustainable Development Resolution" and its accompanying proposals introduced last April by U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt). It calls for deeper analysis of the future of a global economy.—Heidi Schlumpf

Resources
Network
World Bank
International Monetary Fund
World Trade Organization
Cardinal Law's letter
The United States-China Business Council: WTO/PNTR For China
PNTR WITH CHINA: Economic and political costs greatly outweigh benefits
PNTR for China: No Quick Fix for Human Rights

Back to page top

Can an assisted suicide ban survive congressional deal-making?
A bill that would ban assisted suicide might itself be dying, thanks to politicking in the Senate. The Pain Relief Promotion Act (H.R. 2260) is being "held hostage" and has not been scheduled for a vote by Senate Democrats trying to get Republicans to agree to schedule other votes, according to Richard Doerflinger, associate director for policy development at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.

"We are asking all Catholics to urge their senators of both parties to help break that logjam and support this bill," says Doerflinger. "This is an urgently important piece of legislation."

The bill, which was approved by the House last October by a vote of 271-156, would outlaw assisted suicide nationwide and pre-empt an Oregon state law that allows it. It calls for federally regulated drugs, such as opiates and barbiturates, to be used for pain management but not for assisted suicide.

"By promoting improvements in palliative care, and by reaffirming that assisted suicide and euthanasia are not 'legitimate' medical practices in the eyes of our federal government, the Pain Relief Promotion Act serves the real needs of dying patients and their families," Cardinal William Keeler said when the bill was first introduced in June 1999. Keeler is chair of the NCCB's Committee for Pro-Life Activities.

Federal policy on assisted suicide was clearly established in 1997 with the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act, which passed the Senate, 99-0. It ensured that, regardless of any state action, assisted suicide would not be permitted or seen as part of medical practice in federally funded programs or federal health facilities.

However, the program by which the Drug Enforcement Administration registers health professionals to prescribe and dispense federally regulated drugs for "legitimate medical purposes" was not addressed by the 1997 law. In June 1998, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno ruled that Oregon must be allowed unilaterally to redefine "legitimate medical purposes" to include assisted suicide. The Pain Relief Promotion Act would reverse Reno's ruling.

The bill also has the support of the American Medical Association, the National Hospice Organization, the American Academy of Pain Management, the American Pain Society, and the American Academy of Pain Medicine. The Catholic Health Association, Catholic Charities, and a host of other Catholic organizations also have urged its passage.

Cardinal Keeler has lobbied for the bill since it was introduced, writing letters to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and to all representatives and senators. In addition, Doerflinger testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee last June. "When we accept assisted suicide as a 'good enough' solution for these patients, we preach a counsel of despair to terminally ill patients," Doerflinger told the subcommittee. "We tell them that we find it easier to kill them than to find ways to kill their pain."—Heidi Schlumpf

Resources:
The Pain Relief Promotion Act: H.R. 2260
Richard Doerflinger's testimony to House Judiciary Subcommittee
USCC press releases
Cardinal Keeler's letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee
American Medical Association
National Hospice Organization
American Academy of Pain Management
American Academy of Pain Medicine
American Pain Society
Catholic Health Association
Catholic Charities USA

Back to page top