Michael Burgess: “a year ago this House passed some meaningful legislation, H.R. 5, which would limit medical liability. Unfortunately…”

“a year ago this House passed some meaningful legislation, H.R. 5, which would limit medical liability. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, that good legislation has languished on the other side of the Capitol. The reason this is important is because it continues to affect States throughout the country. My State of Texas actually enacted caps on noneconomic damages last September. That was a good thing down in Texas, but the reality is there are places in the country that are still adversely affected. I went through Nome, Alaska, last summer coming back from ANWR. One of the OB doctors there said, boy, I hope you get that done because we need an anesthesiologist here and we cannot afford the liability premiums. I said, How do you do obstetrics without an anesthesiologist? He said, If someone needs a C-section, we put them on a plane to Anchorage. Anchorage is an hour and a half away, and I am given to understand there is bad weather from time to time in Nome, Alaska. I fail to see how we are furthering the cause of patients' safety by allowing this situation to continue. Mr. Speaker, fortunately we have a President right now who will sign medical liability if we will get that bill passed.”