Nathan Deal: “I would briefly like to say that we should test this legislation by the light of reasonableness. When we do, I would ask…”

“I would briefly like to say that we should test this legislation by the light of reasonableness. When we do, I would ask the question, is it reasonable for punitive damages to be limited to a quarter of a million dollars or twice the compensatory damages? Most people think so. Is it reasonable to give injuries that have multiple defendants the right to decide how much each of those defendants should have to pay rather than having the one who may be the last culpable have to pay it all? Most people think that is reasonable. Is it reasonable to say a 2-year statute of limitations in which an action must be brought after the injury? Most people think so. Is it reasonable to have a 15-year statute of repose? The President had to go no further than a member of his own Cabinet, our former colleague in the previous Congress, Mr. Glickman, who led the efforts in the last Congress to try to save an industry in his district, a small aircraft industry, that was faced with a similar prospect of extinction to find that this is certainly reasonable. Based on the test of reasonableness, I would urge this Congress to override the President's veto.”