Arlen Specter: “I do oppose the amendment. I appreciate the experience of Senator Pryor having been attorney general of the State of…”

“I do oppose the amendment. I appreciate the experience of Senator Pryor having been attorney general of the State of Arkansas. I did not hold such a lofty position. I was just a district attorney, but I appreciate the reasons he has put forward for the amendment. It is my suggestion that it is not necessary. When the Senator from Arkansas has enumerated a number of situations where attorneys general protect the interests of the citizens of their State, that can be accomplished even if this bill is adopted. In the first place, the bill provides that if two-thirds of the parties involved are citizens of the State, it stays in the State; if one-third, it goes to the Federal court; and between one-third and two-thirds, it is up to the discretion of the judge. So even within the confines of the language of the bill, the interests that the Senator from Arkansas has articulated will be protected. Next, the attorneys general have authority under parens patriae statutes enacted by the many state legislatures to represent the citizens of their State. They are the lawyer for everybody in the State.”