General Sorrell affirmed his strong support of the public health benefits in the proposal, and I am grateful for his insights and will continue to consult closely with him about this agreement and its implications for the people of Vermont. To completely evaluate whether this agreement is fair and what changes Congress should suggest making in it, we need to know all the facts. We are in no position to evaluate these questions without knowing the facts. Counsel for the states and class action plaintiffs may have enough information to make informed judgments about the extent of the industry s wrongdoing and the type of relief needed to remedy it, but the public does not because much of the information is still under seal. . . . Any legislation and settlement must make certain that all such information is fully disclosed to the public.
Information is an essential ingredient of good public policy.
I firmly believe the American public and their elected representatives deserve to know all the facts before passing any legislation implementing this proposed settlement. That is the fair and sensible way to proceed. On another point, I am concerned about the limitations on future plaintiffs. We must remember that the very existence of this proposed settlement agreement is a credit to our civil justice system. In fact, without the use of class action and the likelihood of punitive damage recoveries, the tobacco companies would have never come to a negotiating table.