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   The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. EHRLICH) is recognized for 5 minutes.

   Mr. EHRLICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge a group of citizens in my district who are working hard to address an issue affecting every citizen in our State, lawsuit abuse.

   Throughout my district and all over the greater Baltimore area, local citizens are volunteering their time and

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   The men and women of the Baltimore Regional Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse have a simple goal, to create a greater public awareness about abuses of our civil justice system.

   This type of citizen activism has had a positive impact on perceptions and attitudes towards abuses of our legal system, a problem most folks do not consider as they go about their daily routine.

   While the overall mission of Baltimore Regional Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse is to curb lawsuit abuse and abuse of our legal system, the organization's main focus is on education. Every time these dedicated Marylanders speak out about lawsuit abuse, ordinary citizens are educated on the statewide and indeed nationwide impact our civil legal system has on our daily lives.

   The cost of lawsuit abuse includes higher costs for consumer products, higher medical expenses, higher taxes, higher insurance rates, and lost business expansion and product development, a serious problem in the United States of America.

   I worked hard to reform our legal system at the State level during my days as a member of the Maryland General Assembly. During my tenure in Congress, I have supported efforts with respect to product liability reform, securities litigation reform, and reform of our Federal Superfund program.

   More specifically, Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services during the 105th Congress, I sponsored bipartisan legislation that has helped reduce frivolous class-action lawsuits brought against small-business people employed as mortgage brokers.

   Mr. Speaker, legal reform is a complex issue, as we have seen actually today on the floor of this House and in the past 5 years from the 104th Congress and the 105th Congress, as well. The legal system must function to provide justice to every American.

   When our open access to the courts is abused or used to the detriment of innocent parties who happen to have money or happen to have insurance coverage, this system must be reviewed and reformed, sometimes in State legislatures, sometimes on this floor.

   Let me acknowledge the board of the Baltimore Regional Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse for giving of their valuable time and energy: The Honorable Phillip D. Bissett, Vicki L. Almond, Joseph Brown, Dr. William Howard, Sheryl Davis-Kohl, Gary O. Prince, and the Honorable Joseph Sachs.

   Mr. Speaker, the Baltimore Regional Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse has declared September 19-25 as Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week in Maryland.

   I want to commend these citizens and all involved in this worthwhile effort, for their dedication and commitment, and to acknowledge this week as a time of public awareness regarding the serious issues associated with abuse of our civic legal system.

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