"Congress should protect consumers, employees, and retirees-not corporations who produce faulty products and create reckless hazards. If we've learned one thing from the corporate scandals of the last two years, it is that irresponsible businesses must be held accountable.

I applaud Senate Democrats for standing up against the Republican class action bill. The bill limited the rights of consumers to protect themselves against wrongdoers by banding together. It would have blocked the way of thousands of injured consumers who were simply seeking justice.

America has the finest and fairest system of civil justice in the world. We place in the hands of our fellow Americans the determination as to whether, and to what extent, a litigant has suffered harm. But even our civil justice system isn't perfect.

Reforms should be implemented where excesses are found. To promote fairness for all and curb the frivolous lawsuits which occasionally clog the system, I support responsible changes to the civil justice system. But the Republican bill went too far in tilting the legal playing field in favor of the powerful and against ordinary Americans."