MEDIA ALERT: Friday Briefing: Legal Rights of Consumers and Patients Under Fire Next Week
Mar. 3, 2017
MEDIA ALERT
Friday Briefing: Legal Rights of Consumers and Patients Under Fire Next Week
WHAT: A coalition of consumer, legal and democracy rights groups will hold a congressional briefing to hear from everyday citizens and experts about an effort by GOP lawmakers to restrict consumers’ ability to access the courts and seek redress for harms caused by corporate wrongdoers.
Next week and the following, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on an array of legislation designed to limit the ability of harmed consumers and medical malpractice victims to bring their cases in a court of law. The bills are an attempt by lawmakers to take away people’s constitutional rights and change the rules to let lawmakers’ corporate backers cut corners.
The bills being considered include: H.R. 720, Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2017; H.R. 725, the Innocent Party Protection Party Act of 2017; H.R. 732, the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2017; H.R. 985, the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2017; H.R. 906, the Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act of 2017; and H.R. 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017.
Public Citizen will mobilize activists next week to urge the defeat of these bills.
WHO: Robert Weissman, president, Public Citizen (moderator)
Joanne Doroshow, executive director, Center for Justice & Democracy
Sue Vento, widow of former U.S. Rep. Bruce Vento (DFL-Minn.)
Angela Jones, consumer and parent, Rosenberg, Tex.
Andrew Popper, professor of law, Washington College of Law, American University
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. EST, Friday, March 3
WHERE: Room 2226, Rayburn House Office Building
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