The House Energy and Commerce Committee this morning is marking up H.R. 5, the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2011, legislation to control the unnecessary or excessive litigation costs that afflict health care in the United States. (Committee video. Hearing started at 10:41 a.m.)

In a timely and important contribution to the debate, the American Tort Reform Association has released a new paper,”The Constitutional Foundation for Federal Medical liability Reform.” In a news release, ATRA explained:

The ATRA paper, The Constitutional Foundation for Federal Medical liability Reform, addresses in some detail questions recently raised about whether provisions of H.R. 5 are consistent with the Commerce Clause, the Tenth Amendment, the guarantees of equal protection and due process, and the right to a jury trial.

“Citing more than 100 years’ worth of Supreme Court precedent, the consistent rejection of federal constitutional challenges to state medical liability reforms, and the opinion of the Congressional Research Service itself,” Joyce said, “our paper puts an end to any serious concern or question about the constitutionality of federal medical liability reform.

“With respect to perhaps the most important question about whether the Commerce Clause gives Congress sufficient authority to promulgate medical liability reform for the nation as a whole, it’s not even a close call. Congress has that authority.

Author of the paper is Mark A. Behrens of Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., a man who knows his civil liability issues. The National Association of Manufacturers has worked with Behrens and the law firm on numerous occasions over product liability litigation and related issues.

UPDATE (10:45 a.m.): Very timely report. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is making a “states rights” argument against the bill, proposing an amendment. She’s always been such a strong advocate for federalism.