Political Quotes

John Ensign: I practiced veterinary medicine and I understand how professional boards work. I understand that with professional…

On the recordJuly 8, 2003
I practiced veterinary medicine and I understand how professional boards work. I understand that with professional boards there is a self-policing that is assumed. It is supposed to happen with lawyers. It is supposed to happen with accountants. It is supposed to happen with veterinarians. It is supposed to happen with physicians. The big problem today with professional boards is they are afraid to do something with somebody's license because if they do, they can be held personally liable. That happens time and time again. All of the professional boards go through this; that as badly as they would love to jerk somebody's license, unless it is so clear and the evidence is so outrageous of what they have done to deserve their license being jerked, it just does not happen. Frankly, it should happen more. There are incompetent doctors. There are incompetent lawyers. There are incompetent veterinarians. More of them should have their license jerked in that case, and I wish they were empowered a little more and maybe protected a little more to do that.
Said by
John Ensign

Editor's note · Context

Discussing the challenges faced by professional boards in regulating licenses.

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