[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 20012]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                   SAFE NURSING AND PATIENT CARE ACT

  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, every American who has ever visited a 
hospital knows that nurses are on the front lines of our health care 
system. Our Nation's nurses treat patients, work with doctors, and 
perform complex duties critical to providing care to all patients. For 
these reasons, I am joining Senator Kennedy in introducing the Safe 
Nursing and Patient Care Act. I have done so for the last three 
sessions of Congress and will continue to do so until this vital 
legislation is enacted.
  At the heart of the bill is the belief that nurses should not be 
forced to work beyond their ability to offer exemplary care to 
patients. Mandatory overtime requires nurses, given very short notice 
to work excessive hours in our hospitals and other institutions that 
provide health care services. Nurses are left with no recourse when 
mandatory overtime is applied. They continue treating patients, despite 
fatigue in many instances, impacting the delivery of care to patients. 
It is time that we answer the call made by nurses from across the 
Nation to immediately address this issue.
  Individual States have begun to respond to this call. Massachusetts 
is one of several States seeking to tackle adverse nursing conditions 
and curb requirements of mandatory overtime for its nurses. This bill 
would give nurses the necessary tools to continue putting patient care 
first by prohibiting mandatory overtime and providing protections if 
nurses report cases of it happening. Each year, 98,000 deaths are 
attributed to medical errors, and so addressing this issue is critical 
to the safety of our patients and the well-being of our nurses.
  The Safe Nursing and Patient Act is the first step toward addressing 
important issues in our Nation's health care system. Our legislation 
offers support and protections to nurses. It is time that Congress act 
to create a healthy and safe work environment for nurses so that they 
can continue to create healthy environments for patients.
  Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the need for 
hate crimes legislation. Each Congress, Senator Kennedy and I introduce 
hate crimes legislation that would add new categories to current hate 
crimes law, sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable 
in our society. Likewise, each Congress I have come to the floor to 
highlight a separate hate crime that has occurred in our country.
  On July 21, 2007, in Hoboken, NJ, two men assaulted a gay couple near 
a well-known nightclub. They knocked the two victims to the ground, 
beat them, and shouted antigay slurs. After noticing the attack, a 
bouncer at a nearby nightclub chased the two men down the street and 
held them until police arrived. The attackers now face charges of 
assault and bias intimidation. Police Captain Anthony Romano confirmed 
for reporters that the attackers hit the two men because they were gay.
  I believe that the Government's first duty is to defend its citizens, 
to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Matthew 
Shepard Act is a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by 
passing this legislation and changing current law, we can change hearts 
and minds as well.

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