Sep 17 2009
Roll Call reports that the Senate Finance Committee could clash with the Senate Judiciary Committee if they try to amend their health reform bill to scale back medical malpractice lawsuits.
"But several Democrats indicated Tuesday that Finance Chairman Max Baucus' (D-Mont.) foray into Judiciary territory may be for naught, considering Democratic leaders are only willing to put lawsuit limits in a health care bill if it draws firm commitments from Republicans to support the measure. … Asked Tuesday whether he was troubled by the ongoing negotiations in the Finance panel, (Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick) Leahy (D-Vt.) asserted his committee primacy on the issue."
Leadership has said that if the issue gets much more complex than simple funding of "demonstration projects" that it would likely have to be taken up by the Judiciary Committee (Pierce, 9/16).
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