[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20840]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   RECOGNITION OF LAWSUIT ABUSE AWARENESS WEEK: SEPTEMBER 18-22, 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR.

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 4, 2000

  Mr. EHRLICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge a group of citizens 
in my district working hard to address an issue affecting every citizen 
of our state: Lawsuit Abuse.
  Throughout my district, and all over the greater Baltimore area, 
local citizens are volunteering their time and energy to inform the 
public about the costs and problems stemming from 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, 
otherwise known as BRCALA, have a simple goal--to create a greater 
public awareness of abuses of our civil justice system. This type of 
citizen activism has had a positive impact on perceptions and attitudes 
toward abuses of our legal system, a problem most folks do not stop to 
consider during their daily routine.
  While the overall mission of Baltimore Regional Citizens Against 
Lawsuit Abuse is to curb lawsuit abuse, the organization's efforts 
focus on education. Every time these dedicated Marylanders speak out 
against lawsuit abuse, ordinary citizens are educated on the statewide 
and nationwide consequences our legal system has on our daily lives. 
The costs of lawsuit abuse include higher prices for consumer products, 
higher medical expenses, higher taxes, higher insurance rates, and lost 
business expansion and product development.
  As a former member of the Maryland General Assembly, I worked hard to 
reform our legal system at the state level. During my tenure in 
Congress, I have supported efforts with respect to product liability 
reform, securities litigation reform, and reform of the federal 
Superfund program. More importantly, I sponsored legislation that has 
helped reduce frivolous class action lawsuits brought against mortgage 
brokers.
  This year, I voted to support H.R. 1875, the Interstate Class Action 
Jurisdiction Act. This legislation recognizes that many class action 
lawsuits do little to help consumers, but allow personal injury lawyers 
to collect millions of dollars in legal fees. H.R. 1875 is an important 
step in helping reform a legal system that has been abused time and 
time again.
  Legal reform is a complex issue. The legal system must function to 
provide justice to every American. This does not mean, however, that 
the status quo is perfect. When lawsuits and the courts are used in 
excess or to the detriment of innocent parties, the system must be 
reviewed and reformed.
  Let me acknowledge the BRCALA board of directors for giving of their 
valuable time and energy: the Honorable Phillip Bissett, BRCALA 
chairman; Joseph Brown, Jr.; Dr. William Howard; Gary O. Prince; the 
Honorable Joseph Sachs; and the Honorable Michael Wagner--directors and 
supporters dedicated to BRCALA; and Nancy Hill, BRCALA executive 
director.
  Mr. Speaker, the Baltimore Regional Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse 
has declared September 18 through September 22, 2000, as ``Lawsuit 
Abuse Awareness Week'' in Maryland.
  I want to commend every person involved in this worthwhile effort for 
their dedication and commitment.

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