Life and Death Decisions

I've paid very little attention to the Terry Shaivo happenings. Such decisions are best left up to the person and the family. However, the histrionics by the Senate and media really makes me wonder. Thirty years ago my father made me promise several times that I wouldn't allow "them" to use any special life support. He was dying from cancer and the pain was unbearable. We didn't insist that the hospital take any extroadinary measures. We just made sure that the pain medication was adequate. Recently, my mother underwent surgery for cancer. She wanted the same promise: if anything bad happens, no extroadinary efforts to keep her alive. At 85, the decision should be hers. The Shaivo affair is not quite as cut-and-dried. But with the reaction to this, would I have been able to keep the word my mother made me give? Would the Congress interfere with that, very personal, decision made by my mother?