Assisted-suicide bill approved

      WASHINGTON -- The House voted last week to forbid federal money from being used to pay for assisted suicide or euthanasia.
      Lawmakers voted 398-16 for the bill.
      Doctor-assisted suicide already is illegal, but supporters characterized the bill as a pre-emptive strike to head off possible court decisions making the practice legal.
      Critics called the bill a political stunt and waste of time. They argued it addresses a problem that does not exist because the government has no plans to fund assisted suicides.
      Reps. John Ensign and Jim Gibbons, both R-Nev., voted for the bill.
     Nuclear waste vote
      The Senate killed an amendment that would have given governors the ability to stop nuclear waste from being shipped through their states.
      Senators voted 72-24 against an amendment by Nevada's senators aimed at slowing development of a nuclear waste repository in their state. The amendment would have required governors to approve the nuclear shipments through their states on their way to Nevada.
      Sens. Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, both D-Nev., argued states should have more voice on the transportation of thousands of radioactive spent fuel rods. Opponents said the amendment would delay and could ultimately kill the government's nuclear waste disposal program.
      Reid and Bryan voted for their amendment.