On the recordFebruary 25, 2016
This is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. My amendment would simply ensure that those who have filed a suit in connection with sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor are exempt from the changes that this law makes. Mr. Speaker, this bill is an assault on the ability of everyday hardworking Americans to seek justice, and despite its misleading title, this bill has absolutely nothing to do with fraud and will do nothing to prevent it. This is just one more step by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to offer corporations every opportunity imaginable to take advantage of workers, consumers, and patients. By making it easier to move cases to Federal court, we make it easier for big corporations to play the long game, waiting out plaintiffs with limited financial resources, with limited capacity to travel far from home for hearings, and with limited ability to sit through the significantly longer Federal process. The current law has been around for centuries, based on the obvious logic that a State case belongs in a State court. The new burden that this bill would place on the average American is simply outrageous. The least that we can do is protect children who have already been victimized by sexual assault. My amendment is simple.…
