eSalt Action Alert - Senate Judiciary Committee

Campaign against Specter ~ Bump!

Stop Arlen Specter's Chairmanship Now!

Frivolous lawsuits cost our economy upwards of $250 billion annually, burdening every American with the equivalent of a five percent "tort tax." While the House has already passed legislation to curb this abuse, and President Bush is ready to sign a tort reform bill, a gang of trial-lawyer allies in the Senate kept the proposal from advancing. Even now that the elections have removed several of these obstructionists, Senate Republicans may squander their opportunity to break the gridlock if they select a Judiciary Committee Chairman who would continue to hold up tort reform legislation in the next Congress. Senator Arlen Specter is the wrong choice for Judiciary Committee Chairman and should be rejected for that post.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Stop Specter's Chairmanship Now
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

In the November 2nd elections, the American people sent a clear message to federal politicians that they are tired of taxpayer-friendly policies being obstructed by the Senate, such as reform of our costly legal system. Junk lawsuits are clogging the courts, choking our economy, and driving up our health care costs.

The House of Representatives has already enacted a bill to get a handle on these problems, and President Bush has made it clear he'll sign legislation to end the "tort tax" on the American people. But this vital reform will only be held up further if Arlen Specter is allowed to become Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Senator Specter's voting record proves that he is willing to place the interests of trial lawyers before those of the American people. Republicans were right to criticize John Kerry, John Edwards, and Tom Daschle for taking huge campaign contributions from law firms and lawyers and blocking tort reform. They shouldn't vote now to give a Committee Chairmanship to a GOP Senator who has done exactly the same thing. President Bush, your colleagues in the House, and the American people are all counting on your leadership to get tort reform and other important pro-taxpayer bills through the Senate. Please don't let us down -- vote no on Arlen Specter's Chairmanship.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]

Campaign Launched:
November 15, 2004
Background Information

Last year the House passed the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 (H.R. 4571), which would help alleviate the tort burden on the American people, estimated to be as high as $250 billion annually. However, the legislation has yet to pass out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Should H.R. 4571 fail to move in the Senate in the next several weeks, it is a sure bet that similar legislation will reappear before the Judiciary Committee in 2005. After all, lawsuit abuse is accelerating the rapid increase in health care costs and driving doctors out of business.

Although the prospects for crucial tort reform will be brighter in the 109th Congress, one man could derail chances for passage: Sen. Arlen Specter. Despite being at odds with his own party's support for necessary tort reform, Senator Specter is now in line to replace Sen. Orrin Hatch as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would have jurisdiction over this issue.

As journalist Timothy Carney pointed out recently in The Washington Times, Senator Specter's record on tort related issues is abysmal:

In May of 1995, weeks into the new Republican majority, Mr. Specter tried to derail a product-liability reform bill. He voted against limits on attorney fees for medical liability suits and against limiting punitive damages to three times economic damages (not a hard cap, since economic damages would not be capped). Mr. Specter also voted against an amendment to limit non-economic damages to $500,000 and against another to protect OB/GYNs from being sued for problems they didn't cause.
According to public record for the 2003-4 election cycle, Specter ranked number five in the Senate in terms of campaign funds received from lawyers and law firms. Only John Kerry, John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, and Tom Daschle received more. In fact, lawyers and law firms gave Specter over $1.8 million--almost three times as much as the next closest industry!

Why would Republicans, after defeating Kerry, Edwards, and Daschle in part by criticizing their trial-lawyer financing, simply hand the Judiciary Committee gavel to someone who shares this triumvirate's disdain for tort reform? This is precisely the politically embarrassing scenario that will occur should the GOP allow rigid institutional rules on seniority to carry the day.

There is an additional danger for taxpayers associated with allowing Senator Specter to become the Chairman of such as powerful committee as the Senate Judiciary. Politicians are notorious for trading votes and favors in order to protect parochial interests. It is not unimaginable that a Chairman Specter would use the leverage provided by his new position to win concessions on other fiscal matters of concern to him. Given that Senator Specter helped water down President Bush's tax cuts and was just named the 2003 Congressional Porker of the Year by another organization because of his penchant for supporting profligate spending, our cause of limited government could be in jeopardy should Specter obtain the Chairmanship.

Stop Arlen Specter's Chairmanship Now!

Frivolous lawsuits cost our economy upwards of $250 billion annually, burdening every American with the equivalent of a five percent "tort tax." While the House has already passed legislation to curb this abuse, and President Bush is ready to sign a tort reform bill, a gang of trial-lawyer allies in the Senate kept the proposal from advancing. Even now that the elections have removed several of these obstructionists, Senate Republicans may squander their opportunity to break the gridlock if they select a Judiciary Committee Chairman who would continue to hold up tort reform legislation in the next Congress. Senator Arlen Specter is the wrong choice for Judiciary Committee Chairman and should be rejected for that post.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Stop Specter's Chairmanship Now
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

In the November 2nd elections, the American people sent a clear message to federal politicians that they are tired of taxpayer-friendly policies being obstructed by the Senate, such as reform of our costly legal system. Junk lawsuits are clogging the courts, choking our economy, and driving up our health care costs.

The House of Representatives has already enacted a bill to get a handle on these problems, and President Bush has made it clear he'll sign legislation to end the "tort tax" on the American people. But this vital reform will only be held up further if Arlen Specter is allowed to become Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Senator Specter's voting record proves that he is willing to place the interests of trial lawyers before those of the American people. Republicans were right to criticize John Kerry, John Edwards, and Tom Daschle for taking huge campaign contributions from law firms and lawyers and blocking tort reform. They shouldn't vote now to give a Committee Chairmanship to a GOP Senator who has done exactly the same thing. President Bush, your colleagues in the House, and the American people are all counting on your leadership to get tort reform and other important pro-taxpayer bills through the Senate. Please don't let us down -- vote no on Arlen Specter's Chairmanship.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]

Campaign Launched:
November 15, 2004
Background Information

Last year the House passed the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 (H.R. 4571), which would help alleviate the tort burden on the American people, estimated to be as high as $250 billion annually. However, the legislation has yet to pass out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Should H.R. 4571 fail to move in the Senate in the next several weeks, it is a sure bet that similar legislation will reappear before the Judiciary Committee in 2005. After all, lawsuit abuse is accelerating the rapid increase in health care costs and driving doctors out of business.

Although the prospects for crucial tort reform will be brighter in the 109th Congress, one man could derail chances for passage: Sen. Arlen Specter. Despite being at odds with his own party's support for necessary tort reform, Senator Specter is now in line to replace Sen. Orrin Hatch as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would have jurisdiction over this issue.

As journalist Timothy Carney pointed out recently in The Washington Times, Senator Specter's record on tort related issues is abysmal:

In May of 1995, weeks into the new Republican majority, Mr. Specter tried to derail a product-liability reform bill. He voted against limits on attorney fees for medical liability suits and against limiting punitive damages to three times economic damages (not a hard cap, since economic damages would not be capped). Mr. Specter also voted against an amendment to limit non-economic damages to $500,000 and against another to protect OB/GYNs from being sued for problems they didn't cause.
According to public record for the 2003-4 election cycle, Specter ranked number five in the Senate in terms of campaign funds received from lawyers and law firms. Only John Kerry, John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, and Tom Daschle received more. In fact, lawyers and law firms gave Specter over $1.8 million--almost three times as much as the next closest industry!

Why would Republicans, after defeating Kerry, Edwards, and Daschle in part by criticizing their trial-lawyer financing, simply hand the Judiciary Committee gavel to someone who shares this triumvirate's disdain for tort reform? This is precisely the politically embarrassing scenario that will occur should the GOP allow rigid institutional rules on seniority to carry the day.

There is an additional danger for taxpayers associated with allowing Senator Specter to become the Chairman of such as powerful committee as the Senate Judiciary. Politicians are notorious for trading votes and favors in order to protect parochial interests. It is not unimaginable that a Chairman Specter would use the leverage provided by his new position to win concessions on other fiscal matters of concern to him. Given that Senator Specter helped water down President Bush's tax cuts and was just named the 2003 Congressional Porker of the Year by another organization because of his penchant for supporting profligate spending, our cause of limited government could be in jeopardy should Specter obtain the Chairmanship.

Stop Arlen Specter's Chairmanship Now ~ Bump!

Specter May Be Denied Judiciary Chairmanship

Specter May Be Denied Judiciary Chairmanship ~ Bump ~ Bump!

RightMarch Takes Specter Fight To Radio

RightMarch Takes Specter Fight To Radio ~ Bump!

I'll see ya tomorrow afternoon, I'm having a colonoscopy at 8:00AM. :)

I will pray for you.