mr. chairman , i yield myself such time as i may consume . 
mr. chairman , normally when we see a manager 's amendment come to the floor , it is an improving amendment . 
unfortunately this one makes a bad bill actually worse than it was originally drawn , and it does so in this way . 
there are already pleading requirements in every state , and basically what this amendment does is make those pleading requirements higher for the food industry than for anybody else in america . 
and , in essence , where you end up is that lawyers who represent people who are claiming to have a cause of action are not only now , under this language , called upon to represent their clients and make a reasonable effort to determine whether there is a basis for their claim , they have to be the jury also . 
they have to go out and decide , are there enough facts here on each and every cause of action against each and every defendant to win this case and win it profoundly . 
they have to allege specific facts . 
i mean , that is the kind of stuff that normally gets done at a trial if a case even gets that far . 
most of these cases are being dismissed really . 
so most of them are not going to get that far anyway . 
but i am not sure what role discovery or any other aspect of our legal process is playing anymore if we pass this manager 's amendment . 
this is much , much more than a technical amendment . 
this is a very substantive amendment . 
and , unfortunately , i think it makes a bill that is already a very , very bad bill , it makes it a very , very , very bad bill . 
i oppose this amendment . 
mr. chairman , i yield back the balance of my time . 
