Frank Pallone: “But there were two areas that I would like to focus on before I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) that I…”

“But there were two areas that I would like to focus on before I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) that I think the gentlewoman really brought out and that I did not bring out, and one is that I focused a lot, and I think that the Republicans on the other side focus a lot, on the liability issue, the question of whether one can sue or not sue. I think to some extent, in refuting them, I kind of fall into the trap of discussing the liability issue. The fact of the matter is, and the gentlewoman pointed out very effectively, that part of the problem or a major problem with the Republican alternative, with the Fletcher bill, is that it does not provide the patient protections that the real Patients' Bill of Rights that we advocate provides. The gentlewoman pointed out a number of them, but just to mention a few others: The Fletcher bill fails to protect the patient-doctor relationship.”