Political Quotes

“the gentleman from Ohio's amendment presents a number of important and potentially troubling issues. Most significant, it avoids even the semblance of evenhandedness by only limiting the fees plaintiff's attorneys could receive. What about the defendant counsel's fees? What about making this apply to plaintiff's attorneys as well as defense attorneys? The amendment creates a new set of controls on lawyers. It discards our Nation's long-cherished notion of freedom of contract, and instead imposes a set of Government-controlled fee schedules. I think this is 100 percent at odds with the free market beliefs of many of my friends on the other side of the aisle. The gentleman from Ohio's amendment would also create a potentially significant conflict of interest before the attorney and his client. It would also discourage settlements, because attorneys could not receive the fee that he or she had bargained for if the case settles. Perhaps the most serious problem is that the Hoke amendment would limit a plaintiff's right to pay his attorney while imposing no similar limitation on the defendant's right to pay his attorney. As a result, this perfecting amendment would specify that defense counsel are subject to the same limitations as are imposed on plaintiff's counsel. My perfecting amendment would specify that defense counsel are subject to the same limitations as are the plaintiff's counsel. Would the gentleman consider accepting the amendment?”