[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 39 (Thursday, March 25, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H1486-H1487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                     MEDICAL LIABILITY CAPS NEEDED

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, 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,

[[Page H1487]]

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. I am not supposed to 
mention the name of his opponent, but I do not believe his opponent 
will do that because he has either been absent or voted ``no'' when 
that has come up in the Senate.

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