According to former Vermont governor and DNC Chairman Howard Dean, it's because of trial lawyers.
On Tuesday, Dean appeared at a town hall meeting on health care reform in Reston, Va., with Virginia Rep. James Moran (D). A constituent asked why tort reform was not included in the current health care proposals in Congress. Here's what Dean said in response:
"This is the answer from a doctor and a politician. Here's why tort reform is not in the bill. When you go to pass a really enormous bill like that, the more stuff you put in it, the more enemies you make, right? And the reason that tort reform is not in the bill is because the people who wrote it did not want to take on the trial lawyers in addition to everyone else they were taking on. And that is the plain and simple truth."
Watch the CSPAN video here. Comment thread begins at approx. 1:32:30.
