[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14799-14800]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            CONCERN ABOUT DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENT NOMINEE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I come before the House tonight as a Member 
of Congress concerned about the impending Presidential race and 
particularly concerned about the Vice Presidential nominee chosen this 
week by the Democrat nominee for President.
  I am very concerned, Madam Speaker, because the choice that has been 
made is a divider rather than a uniter, and I think we are about to 
engage in a debate that will determine who will lead us for the next 4 
years. I am very concerned that someone has been chosen that has talked 
about two Americas, and that is a great concern to me, the framing of 
this debate around two Americas.
  Quite frankly, Madam Speaker, I am concerned about two Americas. I am 
concerned about giving access and a platform to the trial lawyers in 
America, a stage and the ability to launch their efforts, which is 
unprecedented in the history of our Republic.
  I see two Americas. A lot of trial lawyers, attorneys are my best 
friends, but I see an America with a few trial lawyers who have 
benefited greatly and substantially financially, and I see an America 
in which the rest of us have paid and are paying every day for what 
those trial lawyers have done to our society and our country.
  This is a very serious issue because we are going to decide in this 
campaign if we continue to let trial lawyers have two Americas, where a 
few benefit, and then we all pay.

                              {time}  1845

  I do not know any American that has been paying lower hospital bills 
or lower medical care costs. And if we look at the root of the higher 
costs, it is because of the system that has evolved. A few are suing, 
and a few are benefiting. I am very concerned about what I see for 
health care costs and, in manufacturing, the jobs that have been driven 
out of this country. I come from the business sector. I am so pleased I 
am not in business because of the threat of lawsuits today.
  Everything we do in our society now, the cost is dramatically 
affected; not just prescription drugs or health care, access to health 
care, but also manufacturing, our ability to compete in the world. 
Sometimes we compete on a wage basis, but when we look at lawsuits, I 
will give two examples.
  One, the only bill that we overrode when President Clinton was in 
office was one in which we attempted to do

[[Page 14800]]

something about civil aircraft manufacturing. We were losing it in the 
United States, and we had lost most of it. We did override a veto, and 
we did restore some civil aviation manufacturing. However, we have lost 
all regional jet manufacturing, lost 50 percent of the large aircraft 
manufacturing. If we look around the States, North Carolina, the South, 
the North, Ohio, we see manufacturing closing down, because we would 
not want to manufacture in the United States when we can take that 
activity outside the United States.
  Another example is Orlando Helicopter, in my own backyard in central 
Florida. It does not exist anymore. They moved to South America and 
China. Why? Because of liabilities.
  So I see two Americas. I see an America where we may have a great 
opportunity for people to get health care at affordable costs, I see 
opportunity where we can expand jobs and have great economic 
opportunity, but I do not see it with, unfortunately, the Democratic 
nominee who is being brought forth.
  What concerns me, too, having just survived 2 years ago a $5 million 
unprecedented election by a contestant who was a trial lawyer who spent 
$5 million to oust me from office, I see that same onslaught of funds 
coming in to try to capture the second highest office in our land. I 
see two Americas, and I see one that does concern me.

                          ____________________