[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1122]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  SUPPORTING VIRGINIA'S WHITE COAT DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ERIC CANTOR

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 4, 2004

  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Virginia's White 
Coat Day. As many as 1,500 physicians from all over the State marched 
on the Virginia Capitol today to make the case for common-sense medical 
liability reform in the state legislature.
  Led by the Medical Society of Virginia, today's White Coat Day march 
on Richmond is designed to educate State lawmakers on how doctors' 
skyrocketing malpractice insurance is limiting patients' access to 
medical care. Outrageous runaway jury awards are causing malpractice 
premiums to rise uncontrollably, and many doctors are being forced to 
shut their doors.
  The doctors' offices across the Commonwealth that are closed today 
for the march are symbolic of what out-of-control insurance premiums 
are doing to our medical system. Doctors being forced to close their 
doors because they can no longer afford insurance directly affects 
rural, low-income and senior health care in my district and State.
  Mr. Speaker, the pattern of doctors nationwide protesting high 
medical insurance premiums is a clear sign that the entire system is 
broken. Not only should the Virginia Legislature address this issue, 
but we as a Congress need to do the same. We need to take President 
Bush's lead in ending the jackpot payouts that our legal system 
encourages. While the House has passed legislation to reform the 
medical liability system, it is now time to enact common sense reforms 
into law.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud the doctors in Virginia for taking a stand 
today. I know they do it for their patients.

                          ____________________