Nickles continues to push for assisted suicide ban

(Washington-AP) -- U-S Senator Don Nickles is continuing to push his proposal to ban physician-assisted suicide.

But the Oklahoma Republican concedes the bill's fate will come down to a showdown procedural vote.

The vote to stop a threatened filibuster could come within the next ten days.

The bill was triggered after Oregon voters twice approved a law allowing physician-assisted suicide. Attorney General Janet Reno said federal drug agents shouldn't go after doctors in that state who use federally controlled drugs for that purpose.

Nickles says his bill won't overturn the Oregon law. He says Congress has the right to determine how federally controlled drugs can be used.

Oregon's Democratic Senator Ron Wyden is Nickle's chief opponent in the matter. Wyden has opposed physician-assisted suicide, but says Nickle's bill is an infringement on his state's rights.