Senate Democrats Block GOP Class Action Bill

[VolcanoJen]

Keeping Score?

Tort Reform 0, People 1.

:-)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A337-2003Oct22.html

Senate Democrats on Wednesday blocked Republican efforts to limit the amount of damages paid in class action lawsuits across the country, mustering enough votes against the bill to likely kill it for the year.

The GOP-pushed legislation would have taken most class-action lawsuits out of the hands of state courts -- which often award multimillion-dollar judgments -- and would have given jurisdiction to federal courts seen as less likely to grant such lucrative sums.

The Senate voted 59-39 -- one vote short -- on a motion aimed at breaking a Democratic filibuster.

<snip>

...but Democrats have said the bill was designed principally to hurt trial lawyers who litigate those cases and help businesses escape substantial monetary judgments for their wrongdoing.

[goobergunch]

1. Woo-Hoo! (EDITED to add the vote)

It's about time that we won a vote or two.

EDIT: Roll No. 403 Leg.

Yeas 59 Nays 39

Democrats voting in the affirmative: Bayh, Carper, Feinstein, Kohl, Lincoln, Miller, and Nelson (NE).

Republicans voting in the negative: Shelby.

Senators not voting: Edwards and Kerry.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

3. So why did the motion fail?

Cloture votes require 3/5. There were 98 senators voting, and 3/5 of 98 is 58.8. So why were 59 votes insufficient? Is it 3/5 of those present or 3/5 of 100, regardless of how many senators are there for the vote?

Mousepads, Shoe Leather, and Hope

[goobergunch]

5. 3/5 of 100 (60) are always required for cloture

or officially, "three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn".

[UnapologeticLiberal]

10. Good point

Thanks for clearing that up

[ahimsa]

6. Edwards and Kerry - no votes?

That's calling it a little close, isn't it?

[goobergunch]

7. Since it's 60 votes period needed for cloture

every Democrat that voted against could have been absent and it wouldn't have mattered.

59-0 or 59-37, cloture fails either way.

[Emillereid]

14. What the hell's wrong with Feinstein -- I think we dems in

Kullyfornia need to find someone better -- she often votes wrong. Now this vote and her defense of the Patriot Act and I'm beginning to wonder what she's smoking.

[joeybee12]

2. Nice to see Landrieu voting no--guess she finally figured out

which side her bread is buttered.

What a quaint old saying!

[Nottingham]

4. Whoo HOO

:bounce:

[kanrok]

8. Excellent

A swift kick to Rove and Bush's nuts.

[frank frankly]

9. great!

:kick:

[maxrandb]

11. A bit off topic, but

Has anyone mentioned that Rush is being represented by the same lawyer that represented the biting perv Marv Albert. What does pigboy say now about all those nasty trial lawyers????!!!!!

I know, at this point, pointing out anal warts hypocrocy is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel.

Rush's new bumper music "White Rabbit" Jefferson Airplane or
"Dr. Jimmy" The Who "what is it? I'll take it..getting high, you can't beat it".

[Democat]

12. Good work by Daschle, but here is what is wrong with our party

Every Republican except Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., voted for the bill, along with eight Democrats.

[salin]

13. kick n/t