[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 127 (Monday, September 27, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S11470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          GOVERNMENT RUN AMOK

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, let me also join with the Senator from Utah 
for what I think he spoke very clearly about: the run amok of 
Government and the idea that we are going to craft public policy 
through the courts of our land. I believe that is the fundamental 
responsibility of the Congress, both the House and the Senate. Yet we 
have seen this administration and the trial lawyer community of this 
country decide that. First, it is tobacco. They are going to tell the 
world how to think and then tell the States and the Federal Government 
what the policy ought to look like. Now they are turning on the gun 
manufacturers. I don't care where you stand on the issue of guns. What 
is wrong in this country is to suggest that trial attorneys will meet 
in the dark of night to decide what group they are going to take on 
next, amass their wealth for the purpose of making hundreds of millions 
more, and then turn to the Congress and say, now that we have made 
these findings, go legislate a policy. I don't believe that is the 
essence of the foundation of our representative Republic.

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