Government-imposed denial of medical treatment necessary to save life is a form of involuntary euthanasia. Because Medicare is mandatory health insurance for older Americans, the government must not limit the ability of senior citizens to use their own money, if they wish, to get unrationed insurance for lifesaving medical treatment under Medicare. The final version (called the "conference report") of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (H.R. 1) empowered older Americans to avoid involuntary denial of lifesaving treatment by giving them this option, both for the "core" Medicare benefit that includes lifesaving medical treatment and the new prescription drug benefit. Most critically, it provides that Medicare bureaucrats cannot impose rationing-causing price controls. Therefore, NRLC supported passage of H.R. 1.
Roll call 1 was on a motion to waive a point of order against the final version of the bill (called the "conference report"). This was the critical procedural vote that essentially determined whether the bill would pass. The motion to waive, which required 60 votes, was adopted 61-39. It was supported by 49 Republicans, 11 Democrats and one independent (these senators voted in agreement with the NRLC position). The motion was opposed by two Republicans and 37 Democrats (these senators voted contrary to the NRLC position). Roll Call No. 458, November 24, 2003.
Roll call 2 is on final passage of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (H.R. 1), a bill supported by NRLC. Regarding the importance of the bill, please see the explanation for the preceding roll call. The bill passed 54-44. The bill was supported by 42 Republicans, 11 Democrats, and one independent. It was opposed by nine Republicans and 35 Democrats. Roll Call No. 459, November 25, 2003. The bill was then sent to President Bush for his signature, and he signed it into law on December 8, 2003.
KEY
X Pro-life vote (for H.R. 1)
O Vote against H.R. 1
NV Absent or not voting
Alabama
Richard Shelby (R) X X
Jeff Sessions (R) X X
Alaska
Ted Stevens (R) X X
Lisa Murkowski (R) X X
Arizona
John McCain (R) O O
Jon Kyl (R) X X
Arkansas
Blanche Lincoln (D) X X
Mark Pryor (D) O O
California
Dianne Feinstein (D) X X
Barbara Boxer (D) O O
Colorado
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R) X X
Wayne Allard (R) X X
Connecticut
Christopher Dodd (D) O O
Joseph Lieberman (D) O NV
Delaware
Joseph Biden (D) O O
Thomas Carper (D) X X
Florida
Bob Graham (D) O O
Bill Nelson (D) O O
Georgia
Zell Miller (D) X X
Saxby Chambliss (R) X X
Hawaii
Daniel Inouye (D) O O
Daniel Akaka (D) O O
Idaho
Larry Craig (R) X X
Michael Crapo (R) X X
Illinois
Richard Durbin (D) O O
Peter Fitzgerald (R) X X
Indiana
Richard Lugar (R) X X
Evan Bayh (D) O O
Iowa
Charles Grassley (R) X X
Tom Harkin (D) O O
Kansas
Sam Brownback (R) X X
Pat Roberts (R) X X
Kentucky
Mitch McConnell (R) X X
Jim Bunning (R) X X
Louisiana
John Breaux (D) X X
Mary Landrieu (D) X X
Maine
Olympia Snowe (R) X X
Susan Collins (R) X X
Maryland
Paul Sarbanes (D) O O
Barbara Mikulski (D) O O
Massachusetts
Edward Kennedy (D) O O
John Kerry (D) O NV
Michigan
Carl Levin (D) O O
Debbie Stabenow (D) O O
Minnesota
Mark Dayton (D) O O
Norm Coleman (R) X X
Mississippi
Thad Cochran (R) X X
Trent Lott (R) X O
Missouri
Christopher Bond (R) X X
Jim Talent (R) X X
Montana
Max Baucus (D) X X
Conrad Burns (R) X X
Nebraska
Chuck Hagel (R) O O
Ben Nelson (D) X X
Nevada
Harry Reid (D) O O
John Ensign (R) X O
New Hampshire
Judd Gregg (R) X O
John Sununu (R) X O
New Jersey
Jon Corzine (D) O O
Frank Lautenberg (D) O O
New Mexico
Pete Domenici (R) X X
Jeff Bingaman (D) O O
New York
Charles Schumer (D) O O
Hillary Clinton (D) O O
North Carolina
John Edwards (D) O O
Elizabeth Dole (R) X X
North Dakota
Kent Conrad (D) X X
Byron Dorgan (D) X X
Ohio
Mike DeWine (R) X X
George Voinovich (R) X X
Oklahoma
Don Nickles (R) X O
James Inhofe (R) X X
Oregon
Ron Wyden (D) X X
Gordon Smith (R) X X
Pennsylvania
Arlen Specter (R) X X
Rick Santorum (R) X X
Rhode Island
Jack Reed (D) O O
Lincoln Chafee (R) X O
South Carolina
Ernest Hollings (D) O O
Lindsey Graham (R) X O
South Dakota
Thomas Daschle (D) O O
Tim Johnson (D) O O
Tennessee
Bill Frist (R) X X
Lamar Alexander (R) X X
Texas
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) X X
John Cornyn (R) X X
Utah
Orrin Hatch (R) X X
Robert Bennett (R) X X
Vermont
Patrick Leahy (D) O O
James Jeffords (I) X X
Virginia
John Warner (R) X X
George Allen (R) X X
Washington
Patty Murray (D) O O
Maria Cantwell (D) O O
West Virginia
Robert Byrd (D) O O
John Rockefeller (D) O O
Wisconsin
Herbert Kohl (D) O O
Russ Feingold (D) O O
Wyoming
Craig Thomas (R) X X
Michael Enzi (R) X X