Asbestos Bill Dies in Senate

The Senate bill that would have established a $140 billion fund to compensate victims of asbestos was defeated last night because of budgetary questions. The vote to override the budget objection failed on a 58 to 41 vote.

Majority leader Bill Frist had said he would not try to bring the bill back later in the year, but one Senator who missed the vote because hiw wife was sick said he would have voted yes, opening the door for possible passage later.

What this means for those who have been poisioned by asbestos is that the courts are still the only way to get restitution. It’s estimated that 10,000 people a year die from asbestos related illnesses, but about 60 percent of the money in asbestos court settlements goes to lawyers instead of victims.

Still, many liberal Democrats said the bill did not go far enough to compensate victims and would serve only as a way to bail out companies that should be held liable for the damage. Some Republicans hesitated to create what they thought would become another entitlement program.

(Source: New York Times