Tom Harkin: “before us right now is a motion to proceed to what is called the medical malpractice bill, for short. In fact, that is…”

“before us right now is a motion to proceed to what is called the medical malpractice bill, for short. In fact, that is what it is--to change the tort system in America to take away the right of any person who has been injured to seek redress in court for noneconomic damages and also for punitive damages. It is called the medical malpractice bill. We have had it here a number of times before. It is not going anywhere because it is not a true compromise. There may be a compromise that could be worked out on this issue, but this bill represents a one-sided view. It is not going anywhere. The Republicans know this. They know it is not going anywhere, but they brought it up. I thought the FSC bill--the JOBS bill--which they brought up earlier was a must-do bill. There was a jobs bill. They are going to put people to work. Yet it languishes somewhere. In the meantime, we brought up the TANF bill. Now we brought up the medical malpractice bill. It makes you wonder what the priorities are of the majority party in the Senate. There is a lot of talk about who is obstructing what around here. But I think it is clear to any casual observer that the majority is basically kind of filibustering their own bills, obstructing their own bills. And sometimes, as in the case of the gun bill that was up before us a few weeks ago, the Republican majority even voted against its own bill. But it chews up a lot of time.…”