[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 91 (Thursday, July 14, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  URGING MEMBERS TO COSPONSOR THE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE FAIRNESS ACT OF 
                                  1994

  (Mr. GRAMS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. Speaker, I wonder if anyone at the White House has 
noticed that none of the health care reform bills reported out of 
committee in the House has any meaningful medical malpractice reform.
  I wonder if the First Lady and the President noticed that their 1,300 
page blueprint for Government-run health care had a huge omission in 
it--no meaningful medical malpractice reform.
  Is it not interesting, Mr. Speaker, that the White House claims that 
special interests are holding health care reform hostage? On the 
contrary, I contend that it is the White House and the Democrat 
leadership being held hostage by special interests. These special 
interests would lose out if serious medical malpractice reform is 
enacted.
  Serious medical malpractice reform would save consumers billions of 
dollars each year * * * in particular it would reduce the cost of the 
typical hospital stay by an estimated $500 or more, reduce the rate of 
defensive medicine, and reduce the cost of liability insurance.
  The Medical Malpractice Fairness Act of 1994, which I will soon 
introduce will bring about these savings. Many provisions in this bill 
have the strong support of former Vice President Dan Quayle, a vigorous 
advocate for serious tort and medical malpractice reform.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to help free the White House and 
Democrat leadership from the vice-like grip of the special interests by 
becoming original cosponsors of the Medical Malpractice Fairness Act of 
1994 and ultimately passing this desperately needed legislation.

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