Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Tuesday in an address to the Greater Houston Pachyderm Club said Texas should serve as a model for improving access to health care nationwide because of its success in limiting malpractice lawsuits brought against physicians, the Houston Chronicle reports. In 2003, Texas voters approved Proposition 12, which limited damage awards against physicians in malpractice cases. As a result, malpractice insurance rates declined, according to Cornyn. He said this has caused more Texas physicians to stay in the medical field and persuaded physicians from other states to move to Texas.

"We have created greater access to quality health care in Texas," he said, adding, "So you have to understand what I mean when I say I want to make Washington, D.C., and the rest of our country more like Texas (because), frankly, we know the policies that actually work." According to the Chronicle, Cornyn after his speech said he is not proud that 26% of the state's residents are uninsured. He said he has advocated for the establishment of federally funded health clinics to serve as a safety net for residents who lack access to care (Bernstein, Houston Chronicle, 8/13).