Congressman: offering tort reform unlikely to win any GOP votes on healthcare

Republicans are unlikely to back healthcare reform just because they’re offered tort reform in the bill, one House conservative declared Friday afternoon.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) said that GOP-ers were unlikely to defect to back the Democrat-crafted bill in any circumstance.

“That’s an interesting thought,” Lamborn said on the Fox Business Network when asked if by offering reform of medical malpractice lawsuits, President Obama could win Republican votes for his health reform effort.

“Tort reform has not been part of this bill up until now, so it’s not really a serious bill,” he added. “I don’t think they’ll be able to pick off a few republicans under any circumstances.”

Tort reform has long been a prized issue of Republicans, seen as a way of limiting the work of trial lawyers (who are generally supportive of Democrats), while eliminating a factor in the inflationary prices of healthcare.