Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I want to quote Justice Breyer in a Supreme Court opinion: The typical consumer who has only a small damage claim, who seeks, say, the value of only a defective refrigerator or television set would be left without any remedy but a court remedy, the costs and delays of which could eat up the value of an eventual small recovery. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock), my friend. Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Chair, this bill purports to assert a very important constitutional right: the right to trial by jury in civil actions. But it does this by denying another very important constitutional right: the freedom of unimpaired contract, the right of two parties to agree to exchange goods and services according to their own best judgment. Now, because of the excesses and expenses and uncertainties that have plagued our civil courts, many consumers and producers and many employees and employers find it mutually advantageous to waive their right to civil jury trials in any disputes between them in favor of simpler, cheaper, and faster arbitration. Now, the proponents tell us that it is an uneven playing field and this requirement is often imposed in nonnegotiable, take-it-or-leave-it propositions. First of all, this isn't exactly true.…”