The Focus of Today's Session will be
S.2061, the Medical Malpractice Bill

5:55 P.M.

By a vote of 48-45 the motion to invoke cloture was not agreed to.  The Senate will not move to the Medical Malpractice bill.  Senator Cornyn is speaking about the Defense of Marriage Act. 

5:15 P.M.

The Senate is currently voting on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the consideration of S.2061.  Although Senators have been speaking throughout the day on the bill, without formally moving to consider the bill amendments cannot be offered. 

4:30 P.M.

In preparation for the 5:00 vote, Senator Ensign, one of the original cosponsors of S.2061, has been speaking in favor of the bill.  He has framed the debate on this bill by saying this vote will show who stands for protecting the health of women and children and who stands with the trial lawyers. 

3:45 P.M.

Senator Daschle just spoke briefly about Senator Byrd who recently welcomed his fourth and fifth great grandchildren into the world.  Senator Byrd is the senior Senator from West Virginia and was born in 1917. 

3:15 P.M.

Senator Durbin of Illinois is speaking about the Medical Malpractice bill.  He is questioning why this bill did not go through the normal process in the Senate.  No hearings were held on this bill and it was not referred to the Judiciary Committee.  Senator Durbin practiced law prior to his service in the Senate and is also speaking about his experience both defending and suing doctors.

2:30 P.M.

The Senate has returned and Senator Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is urging Senators to support cloture on the motion to consider the Medical Malpractice bill. 

12:30 P.M.

The Senate is now in recess until 2:15 for the weekly policy lunches.

12:15 P.M.

Prior to speaking about the Medical Malpractice bill, Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts is voicing his disappointment that President Bush has supported the federal marriage amendment. He is discussing the importance of all Members needing to work together rather than in a partisan manner.

11:50 A.M.

Senator Bob Graham of Florida is speaking as if in a period of morning business about the recent events in Haiti and how the United States must act and not stand by. Senator Graham is expressing his concern that the events will result in a surge of illegal immigrants from Haiti to the U.S. that our country is not preparing for.

11:45 A.M.

Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire is joining his colleague, Senator Voinovich, in reading letters he has received from his constituents in trying to persuade other Senators about the benefits of the Medical Malpractice bill.

11:30 A.M.

As a number of his colleagues did yesterday, Senator George Voinovich is reading a number of letters he has received from his constituents about the effect liability insurance premiums has on physicians, especially OB/GYN doctors, in Ohio.  While the number of medical malpractice lawsuits has increased over the past few years, Senator Voinovich is stating the fact that many law suits are dropped or settled, and, of the suits that continue, OB/GYN doctors win seven out of ten of those suits.

10:30 A.M.

Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois is talking about the problems he sees with the Medical Malpractice bill, including not addressing medical safety or frivolous law suits.  In addition, he feels that the bill must be tougher on insurance companies.

9:30 A.M.

The Senate convenes this morning to resume consideration of S.2061, the Medical Malpractice bill. This bill, also known as the Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act of 2003, would establish caps on non-economic and punitive damages on all health care lawsuits related to the provision of obstetrical or gynecological goods or services.