Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement in a joint session of Congress that he would address medical liability reform by initiating “demonstration projects in individual states to test these issues,” rather than enacting serious legislation to bring down the costs of defensive medicine.

“President Obama never fails to disappoint by glossing over serious problems with hollow gimmicks and polished rhetoric,” said Congressman Tom Price. “We don’t need to test the medical liability crisis; we need to end it. We don’t need demonstration projects; we need common sense medical liability reform legislation. The President has confirmed that his allegiance to the trial bar is far more valuable to him than bringing down health care costs for American patients. Republicans have put serious solutions on the table that can dramatically lower medical costs and ensure doctors can fully focus on healing patients rather than protecting themselves from frivolous lawsuits. As Americans understand that medical liability reform is an essential part of health care reform, we will continue to make our case to the President, but tonight’s announcement was thoroughly disheartening.”