[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 125 (Thursday, September 23, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H8622-H8623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           BALTIMORE REGIONAL CITIZENS AGAINST LAWSUIT ABUSE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ehrlich) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EHRLICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge a group of citizens 
in my district who are working hard to address an issue affecting every 
citizen in our State, lawsuit abuse.
  Throughout my district and all over the greater Baltimore area, local 
citizens are volunteering their time and

[[Page H8623]]

energy to inform the public about the cost associated with the 
excessive numbers and types of lawsuits filed in today's litigious 
society.
  The men and women of the Baltimore Regional Citizens Against Lawsuit 
Abuse have a simple goal, to create a greater public awareness about 
abuses of our civil justice system.
  This type of citizen activism has had a positive impact on 
perceptions and attitudes towards abuses of our legal system, a problem 
most folks do not consider as they go about their daily routine.
  While the overall mission of Baltimore Regional Citizens Against 
Lawsuit Abuse is to curb lawsuit abuse and abuse of our legal system, 
the organization's main focus is on education. Every time these 
dedicated Marylanders speak out about lawsuit abuse, ordinary citizens 
are educated on the statewide and indeed nationwide impact our civil 
legal system has on our daily lives.
  The cost of lawsuit abuse includes higher costs for consumer 
products, higher medical expenses, higher taxes, higher insurance 
rates, and lost business expansion and product development, a serious 
problem in the United States of America.
  I worked hard to reform our legal system at the State level during my 
days as a member of the Maryland General Assembly. During my tenure in 
Congress, I have supported efforts with respect to product liability 
reform, securities litigation reform, and reform of our Federal 
Superfund program.
  More specifically, Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on 
Banking and Financial Services during the 105th Congress, I sponsored 
bipartisan legislation that has helped reduce frivolous class-action 
lawsuits brought against small-business people employed as mortgage 
brokers.
  Mr. Speaker, legal reform is a complex issue, as we have seen 
actually today on the floor of this House and in the past 5 years from 
the 104th Congress and the 105th Congress, as well. The legal system 
must function to provide justice to every American.
  When our open access to the courts is abused or used to the detriment 
of innocent parties who happen to have money or happen to have 
insurance coverage, this system must be reviewed and reformed, 
sometimes in State legislatures, sometimes on this floor.
  Let me acknowledge the board of the Baltimore Regional Citizens 
Against Lawsuit Abuse for giving of their valuable time and energy: The 
Honorable Phillip D. Bissett, Vicki L. Almond, Joseph Brown, Dr. 
William Howard, Sheryl Davis-Kohl, Gary O. Prince, and the Honorable 
Joseph Sachs.
  Mr. Speaker, the Baltimore Regional Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse 
has declared September 19-25 as Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week in 
Maryland.
  I want to commend these citizens and all involved in this worthwhile 
effort, for their dedication and commitment, and to acknowledge this 
week as a time of public awareness regarding the serious issues 
associated with abuse of our civic legal system.

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