[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17183]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




CRITICIZING DRUG LIABILITY PROVISION IN MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LEGISLATION

  (Mr. EMANUEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, this body is scheduled to vote on medical 
malpractice legislation. This bill contains an egregious provision to 
protect drug companies from any form of liability.
  Why would this Congress protect companies like Merck, who deceived 
the American public by hiding the side effects of Vioxx? An estimated 
139,000 people have had heart attacks as a result of taking Vioxx, and, 
according to the FDA, 55,000 people have died. I am not aware of any 
other industry that would receive this type of liability protection 
just for going through the government approval process.
  The fact is that drug companies have made a smart investment. There 
is no other place in the world that would give them this type of return 
on their investment but this Congress.
  On one side of the screen, Americans are fighting for fairness in the 
court. On the other side of the screen, Congress is mounting a rear-
guard action to protect the pharmaceutical companies.
  Mr. Speaker, when Congress takes up this medical malpractice 
legislation, I will introduce the Vioxx amendment to strike this 
blatantly beneficial provision just for the drug companies. When the 
Speaker's gavel comes down, it is intended to open the people's House, 
not the auction house.

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