It’s reunion week in San Francisco for Democrat trial lawyer Bruce Braley. This week Braley traveled to the Golden State to meet up with his fellow trial lawyer buddies and to hobnob with Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi at the “big national trial lawyers convention in SF…a political bonanza.”
The slick former head of the trial lawyers association and liberal loyalist to Pelosi is seeking to collect some major campaign cash after protecting their pockets ahead of Iowans’ and voting against commonsense measures like medical malpractice.
The San Francisco Chronicle describes the ‘bonanza’:
“The American Association for Justice Convention at the Hilton in San Francisco this week has brought hords to town — hords of politicians…. Half of the Democratic caucus is hanging out at the Hilton,’ quips one Dem insider on scene. Among those in town for the shindig, and working it: Dem fundraiser-in-chief House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and US Senators Chris Coons of Delaware, Al Franken of Minnesota, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, and Brian Schatz of Hawaii.”
Despite the massive economic benefits of tort reform, which the Congressional Budget Office projected would mean $54 billion in ObamaCare savings alone, Braley vocally opposed and repeatedly voted against measures to pursue cost-saving medical malpractice reform during the 2009 health-care debate.
Why? The trial lawyers have lent a helping hand to fill Bruce Braley’s campaign coffers and this week, Braley is collecting.
“Bruce Braley might be trained to fool a jury, but his double talking persona and liberal views aren’t going to fool middle class Iowans,” said NRSC Press Secretary Brook Hougesen. “At the end of the day, he’s just another slick trial lawyer turned slick politician.”
Background:
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In November 2009, Braley Voted Against A Motion To Add Medical Malpractice Reform To The Health Care Bill. “Cantor, R-Va., motion to recommit the bill to the House Energy and Commerce Committee with instructions that it be immediately reported back with an amendment that would create a fund that aims to preserve access to the Medicare Advantage program and establish new regulations for medical malpractice lawsuits. It would prohibit the filing of malpractice suits more that three years after an incident, limit attorney fees to a certain percentage of a claimant’s reward, and allow the awarding of punitive damages only if malicious intent is established.” (H.R. 3962, CQ Vote #886: Motion rejected 187-247: R 174-3; D 13-244, 11/7/09, Braley Voted Nay)
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Braley Said He Opposed Tort Reform That Puts A Cap On Damages. “‘I am opposed to the forms of tort reform that put caps on damages of what people can get if they’ve been permanently or severely injured, or killed, due to medical negligence,’ Braley told about 200 people in Manchester, ‘because I trust the people in this room more than I trust people in Congress to decide what’s fair to you and your family.’”(Thomas Beaumont, “Braley, Constituents Debate Tort Reform Merits,” Des Moines Register, 9/3/09)