September 18, 2015

Lawsuits

On Thursday the House considered H.R. 758, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2015. This legislation changes Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Since 1993, Rule 11 has given discretion to judges when it comes to imposing sanctions for lawsuits considered frivolous. H.R. 758 reverts to the pre-1993 version of Rule 11, making sanctions mandatory. H.R. 758 also eliminates the “safe harbor” provision of Rule 11. This provision grants a 21 day window for the withdrawal of a lawsuit when faced with sanctions. The practical result of H.R. 758 would be an increase in litigation costs due the mandatory imposition of sanctions without regard for individual circumstances. Many organizations oppose H.R. 758, including Public Citizen and the Consumer Federation of America. I voted NO. H.R. 758 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

Women’s Health

On Friday the House considered H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015. This legislation eliminates federal funding for Planned Parenthood for one year and is a direct response to the misleading and discredited videos that anti-choice advocates secretly recorded. Planned Parenthood does so much more than provide access to safe and legal abortions. Planned Parenthood provides cancer screenings such as pap tests and breast exams. Women also receive family planning, pregnancy tests and routine medical care at Planned Parenthood’s hundreds of health centers. Planned Parenthood doesn’t just treat women. Men too receive care and counseling. By cutting off funding, supporters of this legislation are seriously limiting health care options for millions of people. Some Republicans have stated they are willing to shut down the federal government if Planned Parenthood continues to receive funds. The President has stated that he will veto this bill. I voted NO. H.R. 3134 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

More Women's Health

The House also considered H.R. 3504, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Existing federal law already requires that the words “person”, “human being”, “child” and “individual” apply to any infant who is born alive. H.R. 3504 requires medical personnel to admit any child born alive to a hospital. It imposes new “standard of care” rules that are easily subject to misinterpretation, and places severe penalties, including jail time, on doctors who do not comply. It inserts Congress into the relationship between a woman and her doctor, casting aside the doctor’s best judgment in determining treatment. Because the language of this bill is so unclear and the penalties are so severe, it seems obvious that the real intent is to dissuade doctors from performing abortion procedures. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the National Partnership for Women and Families and many other organizations oppose H.R. 3504. The President has stated that he will veto it. I voted NO. H.R. 3504 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

What’s Up Next

His Holiness Pope Francis of the Holy See will address a Joint Meeting of Congress on Thursday.