SURGEONS LAMENT INCONSISTENT SENATE VOTES

CHICAGO--The American College of Surgeons is once again profoundly disappointed at the U.S. Senate's failure to act on legislation to provide meaningful medical liability reforms. On Tuesday, February 24, a motion to invoke cloture and proceed to consider S. 2061, the Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act, was defeated on a vote of 48 to 45.

Remarkably, the Senate today voted 75 to 22 to approve a similar motion on S. 1805—legislation that would prohibit civil liability actions from being brought or continued against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition for damages resulting from the misuse of their products.

Twenty-six Senators who voted for a motion to protect the firearm industry and so ensure continued access to its products were not compelled to offer similar protections to physicians or to pregnant women and their children. The American College of Surgeons will continue to work with other medical and surgical specialty societies to educate these Senators and persuade them to reconsider their commitment to patients.

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients.

Online February 26, 2004

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