[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 11 (Monday, March 17, 2003)]
[Page 321]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on House of Representatives Action on Health Care Legislation

March 13, 2003

    America's medical liability system is badly broken. Frivolous and 
abusive lawsuits are driving up costs for patients, threatening access 
to quality health care, and forcing good doctors to shut down clinics in 
communities across the Nation.
    We need a medical liability system that provides compensation for 
patients, not windfalls for trial lawyers. The direct and indirect costs 
of the liability crisis to the Federal Government is more than $28 
billion a year, adding to the costs of Medicare and Medicaid and hurting 
our efforts to help people get access to the medical care they need.
    Today's House vote is an important step toward creating a liability 
system that fairly compensates those who are truly harmed, punishes 
egregious misconduct without driving good doctors out of medicine, and 
improves access to quality, affordable health care by reducing health 
care costs.
    I also commend the House for passing legislation that improves 
patient safety by providing for better sharing of valuable medical 
expertise between health care professionals. Together, these two pieces 
of legislation will make the system work for patients.
    I urge the Senate to move quickly on legislation that will reform 
our medical liability system and reduce medical errors so that I can 
sign these important measures into law this year.