▁Republic ans . ▁ ▁President ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush ▁signed ▁the ▁act ▁into ▁law ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁Crit ics ▁Crit ics ▁charged ▁that ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁would ▁dep rive ▁Americans ▁of ▁legal ▁rec ourse ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁wrong ed ▁by ▁powerful ▁corpor ations . ▁ ▁Congress man ▁Ed ▁Mar key ▁( D - M ass .) ▁called ▁the ▁bill ▁" the ▁final ▁pay back ▁to ▁the ▁to b acco ▁industry , ▁to ▁the ▁as best os ▁industry , ▁to ▁the ▁oil ▁industry , ▁to ▁the ▁chemical ▁industry ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁ordinary ▁families ▁who ▁need ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁go ▁to ▁court ▁to ▁protect ▁their ▁loved ▁ones ▁when ▁their ▁health ▁has ▁been ▁comprom ised ." ▁ ▁Crit ics ▁charge ▁that ▁this ▁bill ▁makes ▁it ▁far ▁more ▁difficult ▁to ▁bring ▁class ▁action ▁su its , ▁and ▁may ▁prolong ▁such ▁lit ig ation , ▁c logging ▁the ▁federal ▁courts ' ▁do ckets . ▁The ▁act ▁also ▁gives ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁some ▁ability ▁to ▁control , ▁through ▁jud icial ▁appoint ments , ▁out comes ▁that ▁were ▁previously ▁under ▁state ▁control . ▁ ▁Crit ics ▁argue ▁that ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁federal ▁juris diction ▁comes ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁state ' s ▁rights ▁and ▁federal ism , ▁something ▁that ▁Republic ans ▁have ▁histor ically ▁protest ed ; ▁however , ▁pro ponents ▁respond ▁that ▁the ▁bill ▁is ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁found ers ' ▁original ▁intent ▁for ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁federal ▁courts ▁and ▁divers ity ▁juris diction ▁expressed ▁by