The U.S. House Judiciary just voted a bill out of committee that would gut nearly every type of mass legal action brought in the U.S. to vindicate large groups of individuals’ rights against corporate wrongdoing, including the enforcement of civil rights, as well as consumer, employee, and investor protections.
The new Administration has already blocked the Executive Branch of government from doing its work. Agencies such as the FDA, Consumer Product Safety Commission no longer have a mandate to enforce laws that protect public health and safety.
Now, Congress is moving to make sure that when you are harmed, you won’t have access to the federal courts to hold wrongdoers accountable. Make no mistake — this is an onslaught against consumers on every front.
Here is the statement of the American Association for Justice (of which every lawyer in our firm is a member):
“When Americans are unwittingly victimized by widespread corporate wrongdoing, justice demands that they have an opportunity to join together to hold those corporations accountable. However, H.R. 985 will deny groups of injured consumers, workers, and investors of their right to be represented by an attorney, while also providing corporations with new ways to hide evidence of wrongdoing.
“Shockingly, this committee has not held a single hearing to consider the consequences of this ill-conceived, overly-broad legislation. Supporting a bill that rigs the legal system against your constituents is offensive; doing so without even bothering to hold a public hearing and debate the merits is reprehensible.”