WASHINGTON - House Republicans, seeing Congress as a last hope for brain-damaged Terri Schiavo, convened an extraordinary Palm Sunday session to pass legislation aimed at prolonging the Florida woman's life.
Democrats refused to allow the measure to go ahead with a vote, forcing Republicans to scramble to bring their members back to Washington.
Republicans were denying that political motivations were behind legislative efforts to reconnect Schiavo's feeding tube.
"I hope we're not ... making this human tragedy a political issue," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. "We've got plenty of other issues that are political in nature for us to fight about."
Leaders of both parties agreed Saturday on legislation that they said would allow Schiavo's feeding tube, which was disconnected Friday afternoon, to be reinserted while federal courts review her case.
But when the House convened Sunday afternoon, Democrats made clear they would not let it pass on a voice vote, requiring the assembly of a quorum for a roll call vote.
With that, Republicans called a recess and said they planned to meet as early as one minute after midnight on Monday, if they get the needed quorum of 218. The Senate was ready to give its quick approval and President Bush was planning to return from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, to sign it.
Right to File Federal Suit
The bill, "for the relief of the parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo," gives the parents the right to file suit in federal court relating to the withdrawal of food and medical treatment needed to sustain the life of their daughter.
The bill states that the U.S. District Court, after determining the merits of the suit, "shall issue such declaratory and injunctive relief as may be necessary to protect the rights" of the woman. Injunctive relief in this case could mean the reinserting of feeding tubes.
The House planned to meet Sunday afternoon in hopes of approving the measure. If any congressman objected to the bill being taken up on an expedited basis, a vote would have to wait until Monday. The Senate would have to act after the House completes work.
President Bush was planning to return to Washington from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, because of the Capitol Hill developments.
McCain was asked on ABC's "This Week" about a memo suggesting GOP lawmakers could use the case to appeal to Christian conservative voters.
"I think that the motivation of my colleagues is that we want to give this young woman's family a chance to care for her for as long as she lives," McCain said. "I don't think it's any more complicated than that."
He also pointed out, "The Democrats did not disagree with the unanimous voice vote in the Senate implementing this."
But some House Democrats were objecting to congressional involvement. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., said he plans to make an objection Sunday in an effort to stop the vote.
"The Republicans in Congress do not like the results that the Florida courts have reached and they are going to this extraordinary remedy of now stripping the Florida court of its jurisdiction so that maybe there can be another outcome," Wexler told NBC's "Today" show.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., said in a statement, "The assault by ideologues and intolerant people who would impose government on these most personal decisions continues."
Schiavo's husband, Michael, criticized congressional leaders Sunday for intruding in the fight.
"I'm outraged, and I think that every American in this country should also be outraged that this government is trampling all over a personal family matter that has been adjudicated in the courts for seven years," he told CNN. "I think that the Congress has more important things to discuss."
Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., was asked on "Fox News Sunday" if the GOP was "just trying to score points with the right-to-life movement."
"Nothing could be further from the truth," Martinez said. "We've had great cooperation from many, many Democrats and Republicans, coming together. ... I think that this has really been a coming together of people on both sides of the aisle in a rare show of bipartisanship."
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