Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 1215, which should be more accurately called the taking away access to care and justice act. This bill will do nothing to strengthen patient protections and will make careless healthcare providers less accountable. It will severely limit when an injured person is allowed to bring a healthcare lawsuit by shortening the time that injured people have to seek relief. It will also impose a one-size-fits-all cap on how much compensation victims of medical malpractice can receive for pain and suffering, regardless of the severity of a person's injury--in order to benefit insurance companies and wrongdoers. This cap even applies to intentional acts of misconduct. This bill would unfairly limit a patient suing a healthcare provider for sexual assault, as well as a veteran who has received substandard medical care. The bill is written so broadly, it shields both negligent doctors and manufacturers of dangerous drugs and medical devices from liability. H.R. 1215 is before us at a time when Republicans in the Senate are working hard to pass a bill that eliminates health coverage for 22 million people in order to give the wealthiest Americans and insurance companies a huge tax cut. The American people deserve better than this. Our legal and healthcare system should work for the benefit of hardworking Americans, the people we represent, not for the powerful special interests.…”