Smith: President Should Consider Bipartisan Medical Malpractice Reforms
Statement
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) issued the following statement in response to President Obama's State of the Union Address. Specifically, Chairman Smith addressed issues dealing with medical malpractice reform, illegal immigration, and costly federal regulations :
Medical Malpractice: "The House Judiciary Committee is here and ready to work with the Administration to enact real reforms that have proved their effectiveness over decades of experience at reducing health care costs and maintaining quality care . According to the Harvard School of Public Health, 40% of malpractice suits filed in the U.S. are "without merit.' These suits drive up the cost of health care for all Americans and drive many experienced medical professionals out of business. President Obama has already expressed concerns about the costly practice of defensive medicine, when doctors prescribe treatments that are unnecessary to guard against malpractice suits.
"If the President is serious about bipartisanship and serious about helping the American people with health care costs, he should support the HEALTH Act, a bill that allows all Americans to benefit from the reduced health care costs and quality care from malpractice reforms."
Immigration: "It is hard to believe that the President would talk about the urgent need to create jobs, and then call for amnesty that would legalize millions of illegal workers who take jobs from U.S. citizens and legal immigrants. While more than 14 million Americans are desperately looking for work, seven million illegal immigrants have jobs in the U.S. The President should put American workers first and enforce immigration laws to make scare jobs available for those legally authorized to work in the U.S."
Federal Regulations "I'm pleased that the President recognized that federal regulations often place a substantial burden on American businesses. That is why I am a leading co-sponsor of the REINS Act, which reins in the costly overreach of federal agencies that stifle job creation and hinder economic growth."
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