Hank Johnson: “Today, Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this harmful bill, H.R. 5, the so-called Protecting Access to Healthcare…”

“Today, Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this harmful bill, H.R. 5, the so-called Protecting Access to Healthcare Act. Now, this bill is premised upon what I would call a story, because that's what my mamma used to tell me. My mamma and my grandmamma, as I was growing up, used to say that's wrong to say that someone is lying. Don't say that. You say that they're telling a story. So I grew up plagued with the guilt that comes from calling somebody a liar. I still have that sense of shame associated with that word ``liar.'' I'm not here to accuse anybody of lying, but I will say that H.R. 5, the so-called Protecting Access to Healthcare Act, is a story, is premised on the story that runaway frivolous lawsuits, medical malpractice lawsuits are a major cause of driving the cost of medical care through the roof. That's not true. This bill restricts a patient's ability to recover compensation for damages caused by medical negligence, defective products, and irresponsible insurance companies. It also sets a cap of $250,000 for noneconomic compensatory damages which are awarded to victims for emotional pain and suffering, physical impairment and disfigurement. I'm so sorry to have not had this photograph blown up. It's a photo of Caroline Palmer of Marietta, Georgia. Ms. Palmer was in an automobile accident back on March 23, 2007. She sustained two broken legs, a broken shoulder, abrasions on her arms, and a collapsed lung.…”