Medical Liability Reform

On Thursday, the House of Representatives

passed the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH)

Act of 2003 (H.R. 5), of which I was an original cosponsor, in a 229 to

196 vote.

Over the years, I have heard

from many doctors, hospitals and other health care providers about the

need for medical liability reform. Medical liability insurance comprises

one of the largest annual expenses for providers. Ultimately, the increasing

cost of insurance, sometimes over $100,000 per year per doctor and much

more for hospitals, is limiting patient access to healthcare. It is for

this reason that I was pleased to sign on as an original cosponsor of

the HEALTH Act when it was introduced last month.

H.R. 5 would bring much needed

reform to the medical liability claims process. Specifically, the legislation

would ensure that a doctor, or any health care provider, could only be

held liable for damages in proportion to their responsibility for the

harm caused to a patient. Current law permits trial attorneys to seek

all damages from one medical professional even if that professional was

only minimally responsible.

In addition, the bill would

provide a reasonable limit of $250,000 for punitive damages. The bill

would not limit compensation for future medical expenses, lost earnings

or physical injuries resulting from a provider's negligence, unless otherwise

restricted by state law. By providing reasonable limits to medical liability

suits, this legislation would ensure that injured patients receive the

damages to which they are entitled without excessively driving up the

health care costs of others.

The House has responded to

President George W. Bush's charge to the Congress to pass comprehensive

medical liability insurance reform. H.R. 5 has now been referred to the

Senate for consideration.

Economic Recovery Plan

On Wednesday, the Committee

on Ways and Means heard testimony from the Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao,

regarding the President's Budget for the Department of Labor for Fiscal

Year 2004.

In her role, Secretary Chao

is charged with overseeing the needs of the American worker. During my

questioning of the Secretary, I expressed my strong support for the President's

plan for economic growth, and I also encouraged her in her effort to promote

this important plan that will provide the capital investment necessary

to provide more Americans with jobs.

Georgia VFW

On Tuesday, I met with Georgia

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) members to discuss the VFW legislative

issues for the 108th Congress. There are over 1.9 million members of the

VFW who belong to 9,500 posts worldwide. In the state of Georgia there

are 22,890 members who belong to 140 posts. Membership includes veterans

from four wars and active duty service members who have been involved

in expeditionary campaigns. I am extremely proud to meet with veterans

who have sacrificed so much to provide the freedoms we enjoy today. They

continue to serve their country by meeting with members of Congress and

helping to shape legislation which affects our veteran population.

Corps of Engineers

On Wednesday, I met with Col.

Robert Keyser, the commander of the Mobile District of the Army Corps

of Engineers. The Mobile District covers the western part of Georgia,

Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and eastern Mississippi. Col. Keyser provided

me with an important update of Army Corps water related maintenance and

construction projects as well as the current levels of lakes and waterways

in the region.

This information is important

in light of recent drought conditions in Georgia and the impact these

levels have on commerce and recreation in the region. The Army Corps plays

a critical role in maintaining and constructing military and civil work

projects, including barracks and homes, schools, hospitals, day care centers,

airfields, training ranges, reservoirs, and dams.

Army Maneuver Center Concept

On Tuesday, I lead the effort

of the Georgia/Alabama Congressional delegation to express our views to

Secretary of the Army Thomas White, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld,

and the new Training and Doctrine Commander, General Kevin Byrnes. The

letter we sent regarded the Army Maneuver Center Combat Training Operations

Concept.

The Army is planning on developing

a combat arms maneuver center. This center will be the hub of combat arms

training, training development, and combat development.

The letter commended Fort Benning's

capacity in both land and facilities, and as a major power projection

platform with Lawson Army Airfield, in addition to a history of success

in training combat soldiers that is unmatched in the world, as a an ideal

location for this new command.

Fort Benning has a proud tradition

of training the world's finest soldiers, and the members of Congress from

this area would like to see to it that this reputation continues for years

to come so that Fort Benning not only remains the "Home of the Infantry,"

but continues as the integral hub to any changes in training under review

Fort Benning is the most cost effective choice for locating any improvements

in the Army training regime.