Pete Stark: “we have been told that weapons of mass destruction required an invasion of Iraq, that ketchup is a vegetable, and that…”

“we have been told that weapons of mass destruction required an invasion of Iraq, that ketchup is a vegetable, and that global warming is a vast, left-wing conspiracy. Now, the great minds of the Republican Party want us to believe that lawyers are to blame for skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance premiums. Respected insurance, health care, and legal experts all show that insurance companies, with their record surpluses, are to blame for rising premiums. Who are you going to believe? I cast my vote with the experts, and against H.R. 5, the so-called Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2005. This bill arbitrarily caps payments for pain and suffering at $250,000 and extends liability protection not only to doctors, but to HMOs, nursing homes and manufacturers of drugs and medical devices. Furthermore, the President and other Republican proponents claim that this bill will halt skyrocketing medical costs. That's hogwash. Even the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has found that the this bill would have a negligible effect on health care spending, ultimately reducing insurance premiums by less than one-half of one percent. Ineffective legislation is one thing, but this bill is legislative malpractice. It would mean that a child permanently disabled by an incompetent doctor would receive only $250,000 to be compensated for a lifetime of pain and the inability to lead a full life.…”