Paul Coverdell: “I am pleased that the two sides have decided to proceed to the actual legislation and to consider its merits…”

“I am pleased that the two sides have decided to proceed to the actual legislation and to consider its merits straightforwardly. I was also pleased to be notified this morning that during the summit...Governors Branstad of Iowa, Whitman of New Jersey, and Wilson of California, issued a public statement in support of the Volunteer Protection Act...I am deeply grateful to these Governors...for stepping forward and calling on the passage of the Volunteer Protection Act. Mr. President, I thought it would be useful...to revisit the general parameters of the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, which is a bill to provide certain protections to volunteers, nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities in lawsuits based on the activities of volunteers. First, Mr. President, I will frame the problem. Prior to 1980, there was virtually no issue for us to consider here. Millions upon millions of Americans...have continued to step forward, help their neighbors, help in disasters...”