Mr. Speaker,
I rise today to oppose this misguided legislation to limit the ability of average Americans to seek redress for injury and harm caused by corporate malfeasance.
Don’t be fooled by the title of this bill. Congress is not standing up for the average American under this bill. It’s not fixing inequities in our judicial system. It’s making those inequities worse by giving the upper hand to big corporations.
I won’t vote for this Republican-sponsored hoax. It unfairly threatens the very people we are all elected to protect. When the so-called party of local control makes it a top priority to move class action cases from state to federal court, there’s an ulterior motive.
Don’t believe the myth my Republican colleagues want to sell you. Class action suits aren’t frivolous. They allow average Americans financially unable to launch a judicial battle on their own the means to seek redress for injury or death of a loved one. They empower consumers to challenge wrongdoings by wealthy corporations who would otherwise ignore their appeal.
I don’t think that the American public would be satisfied knowing that if this bill passes, the accountability of companies like Enron would be held less accountable. And the makers of Vioxx and other dangerous drugs would be held less accountable.
It is truthful, law-abiding citizens who will lose if this bill becomes law. Apparently, in America today, we have government for, by, and of corporate interests and not the people.
I ask my colleagues to stand up for real people and vote against this shameful bill.
