Cord Byrd: “Yesterday, for the third time in this Congress, the Senate failed to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to a…”

“Yesterday, for the third time in this Congress, the Senate failed to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to a one-sided, take-it-or-leave-it medical malpractice bill. Last year, the majority leader tried to bring up a comprehensive bill. The Senate did not invoke cloture. Rather than sit down with the other side to craft a reasonable bill that could be brought up, debated, and amended, the majority leader took the same flawed bill, applied it to only one sector of the health industry, and attempted to bring it up again, just a few weeks ago. At that time, I voted for cloture, not because I agreed with the underlying legislation, but because I had hoped for a legitimate debate, a serious look at the issues that are part of the growing medical malpractice crisis. I recognize that there are serious problems with medical malpractice in this country, and specifically with the availability of OB/GYN services in my home State of West Virginia. I voted to end debate on the motion to proceed to that bill. But, again, cloture was not invoked.”