Laura Bush says she, president have living wills

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A situation similar to that of Terri Schiavo is unlikely to occur in President George W. Bush’s family because both he and his wife, Laura, have living wills.

The first lady told reporters traveling on her plane to Afghanistan on Tuesday that she was encouraged that the Schiavo case was generating more interest in living wills.

“The president and I have living wills and of course our parents do and they wanted us always to be aware of it. I think that is important for families to have opportunities to talk about these issues,” she said.

Living wills allow people to set out specific instructions on whether they want to be kept alive by extraordinary or artificial means in the event they become incapacitated.

The absence of a living will for the severely brain-damaged Schiavo has been cited as a reason for the tug of war between her husband and her parents over whether she should be kept alive.

Mrs. Bush said she was not surprised by the emotional debate over Schiavo. Her husband has been criticized for signing emergency legislation intended to keep Schiavo alive.

“I just feel like the federal government has to be involved. It is a life issue that really does require government to be involved,” she said. 

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