Month: February 2024

Great News: Simon’s Law Introduced in Congress

nancyvalko civil rights, CPR, education, futility, law, medical ethics, Simon's Law

Sheryl Crosier, the mother of Simon, a baby with Trisomy 18, and I, with my baby Karen who had Down’s Syndrome and a severe heart defect, worked for years to get a law passed In Missouri to get our children protected from the lethal medical discrimination against children with disabilities we encountered (See my 2016 blog “ My testimony for Simon’s Law” )

Sheryl worked hard to get other states to do the same and in 2020, I wrote a blog titled “Strongest “Simon’s Law” Yet is Passed in Iowa” .

Now, Sheryl and Allies of Simon’s Law have had HR-6344 (The Simon Crosier Act) introduced into Congress.

Nancy V.

Legislative Action Alert for Congressional HR-6344 (The Simon Crosier Act) – All Star Press.com

Legislative Action Alert for Congressional HR-6344 (The Simon Crosier Act)

 RNILSEN12  FEBRUARY 9, 2024 3 MIN READ 

The Board of Directors of Simon’s Law, a nationwide network of families, guardians, and professionals dedicated to creating national awareness and protection for medically endangered pediatric dependents with life-threatening diagnosis through education, accountability, parental rights legislation, and Patients’ Bill of Rights, calls on all citizens to petition their congressmen to support The Simon Crosier Act.

HR-6344 (The Simon Crosier Act) proposes to amend titles XVII and XIX of the Social Security Act to require providers of services and health maintenance organizations under the Medicare and Medicaid programs to provide for certain policies to be in place relating to do-not-resuscitate orders or similar physician’s orders for unemancipated minors receiving services.

The Simon Crosier Act (HR-6344) is currently waiting for the House Committee On Energy and Commerce to mark it up. Please take a moment to reach out to committee members, especially Chairwoman Rodgers (R-Washington) at (202) 225-2006, with the following message:

“My name is your name, I am the parent of a child with a life-limiting diagnosis, who is at risk of having resuscitative measures withheld without my consent, with every hospitalization in your state. Therefore, I urge you to mark up HR-6344 (The Simon Crosier Act), so that it has the opportunity to move beyond the House Committee On Energy and Commerce to protect my parental right to be included in DNR determinations for my child.“

REPUBLICAN:

1.     Cathay McMorris Rodgers, WA (202) 225-2006

2.     Michael C. Burgess, TX (202) 225-7772

3.     Robert E. Latta, OH (202) 225-6405

4.     Brett Guthrie, KY (202) 225-3501

5.     H. Morgan Griffith, VA (202) 225-3861

6.     Gus M. Bilirakis, FL (202) 225-5755

7.     Larry Bushon, IN (202) 225-4636

8.     Richard Hudson, NC (202) 225-3715

9.     Tim Walberg, MI (202) 225-6276

10.              Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, GA (202) 225-5831

11.              Jeff Duncan, SC (202) 225-5301

12.              Gary J. Palmer, AL (202) 225-4921

13.              Neal P. Dunn, FL (202) 225-5235

14.              John R. Curtis, UT (202) 225-7751

15.              Debbie Lesko, AZ (202) 225-4576

16.              Greg Pence, IN (202) 225-3021

17.              Dan Crenshaw, TX (202) 225-6565

18.              John Joyce, PA (202) 225-2431

19.              Kelly Armstong, ND (202) 225-2611

20.              Randy K. Weber, Sr., TX (202) 225-2831

21.              Rick W. Allen, GA (202) 225-2823

22.              Troy Balderson, OH (202) 225-5355

23.              Russ Fulcher, ID (202) 225-6611

24.              August Pfluger, TX (202) 225-3605

25.              Diana Harshbarger, TN (202) 225-6356

26.              Mariannette Miller-Meeks, IA (202) 225-6576

27.              Kat Cammack, FL (202) 225-5744

28.              Jay Obernolte, CA (202) 225-5861

DEMOCRAT:

1.     Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ (202) 225-4671

2.     Anna G. Eshoo, CA (202) 225-8104

3.     Diana DeGette, CO (202) 225-4431

4.     Janice D. Schakowsky, IL (202) 225-2111

5.     Doris O. Matsui, CA (202) 225-7163

6.     Kathy Castor, FL (202) 225-3376

7.     John P. Sarbanes, MD (202) 225-4016

8.     Paul Tonko, NY (202) 225-5076

9.     Yvette D. Clarke, NY (202) 225-6231

10.              Tony Cárdenas, CA (202) 225-6131

11.              Raul Ruiz, CA (202) 225-5330

12.              Scott H. Peters, CA (202) 225-0508

13.              Debbie Dingell, MI (202) 225-4071

14.              Marc A. Veasey, TX (202) 225-9897

15.              Ann M. Kuster, NH (202) 225-5206

16.              Robin L. Kelly, IL (202) 225-0773

17.              Nanette Diaz Barragán, CA (202) 225-8220

18.              Lisa Blunt Rochester, DE (202) 225-4165

19.              Darren Soto, FL (202) 225-9889

20.              Angie Crian, MN (202) 225-2271

21.              Kim Schrier, WA (202) 225-7761

22.              Lori Trahan, MA (202) 225-3411

23.              Lizzie Fletcher, TX (202) 225-2571

The contact list of politicians and their office contacts is available from the public Congress website for the Committee On Energy and Commerce.

For further information or media inquiries, please contact:
Sheryl Crosier – Mother of Simon, Founder of Simon’s Law – Sheryl@SimonsLaw.org
Sand Enzminger – Director of Operations, Simon’s Kids – Sandi@SimonsLaw.org
Website: www.SimonsLaw.org

Read about Simon’s Life and His Impact

Victory on Assisted Suicide, Conscience Rights and AMA Proposed Resolutions

nancyvalko AMA, ANA, assisted suicide, conscience rights, culture, euthanasia, law, medical ethics, nursing

“First Do No Harm-Hippocrates”

Last November, I wrote my blog “NAPN Position Paper on AMA Considering New Resolutions on Assisted Suicide”.

Now, the Life Legal Defense Foundation has announced a great victory on this as well as conscience rights.

I have personally worked with The Life Legal Defense Foundation for years and they are awesome!

Here is their statement:

VICTORY over DEATH PEDDLERS in the American Medical Association…! – LIFE LEGAL DEFENSE FOUNDATION

/ Active Euthanasia / By Life Legal / January 9, 2024:

“In 2022, Life Legal sued California Attorney General Rob Bonta to stop enforcement of SB 380, which would have prohibited physicians from opting out of the state’s assisted suicide scheme. SB 380 required doctors to provide most of the documentation needed for their patients to receive so-called “aid-in-dying” drugs – even if doctors were morally opposed to participating in assisted suicide. The law imposed draconian punishments on physicians who refused to comply, including civil and criminal penalties and professional discipline.

Life Legal, along with Alliance Defending Freedom, represented the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) in the lawsuit – and we won! After a hard fight, we were able to get the law enjoined (blocked). Life Legal, Alliance Defending Freedom, and the CMDA were victorious in protecting physicians’ rights of conscience – but the wins did not stop there.

Recently, the CMDA joined with members from the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) to oppose two American Medical Association resolutions supporting physician-assisted suicide. As a result of the pro-life stance taken by the CMDA and the CMA, the American Medical Association declined both resolutions. This means the AMA officially remains in opposition to assisted suicide, holding that “permitting physicians to engage in assisted suicide would ultimately cause more harm than good. Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks.”

We are honored to represent pro-life physicians and we are grateful for their powerful witness in opposition to assisted suicide.” (Emphasis in original)

CONCLUSION

We nurses are also grateful for this victory and so should everyone who cares about healthcare ethics!