Asbestos Bailout Bill Rejected

April 22, 2004
David S. Casey, Jr.
ATLA President

The United States Senate today said a resounding NO to proceeding to
the asbestos bailout bill, S.2290, failing by 10 votes to invoke
cloture and end a filibuster against considering the bill.

Needing 60 votes, proponents were able to muster only 50, falling short of even a bare Senate majority.

All Democrats present and voting, except for Senator Zell Miller (GA), opposed proceeding to the bill.

All 49 Republicans who were present and voting supported proceeding to the bill.

Three Senators, Republicans Ben Campbell (CO) and Arlen Specter (PA), and Democrat John Kerry (MA) were absent.

Please take the time to thank those Senators who voted to oppose
cloture, especially the Senators from your state. You can reach Senate
offices through the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121;
additional information on how to contact your Senator can be found at:

http://action.peopleoverprofits.org/legDirectory/

Today's vote is a significant victory for the hundreds of thousands
of victims of asbestos poisoning, and for their families, but this
fight is not over.

Beginning immediately, Senators will begin a new round of
negotiations in an effort to develop Asbestos Trust Fund legislation.
ATLA remains unwavering in its commitment to oppose any bill that does
not place the interests of victims over the selfish financial interests
of the asbestos companies and their insurers.

The bill rejected by the Senate today fails every test of
fundamental fairness. The victims of asbestos poisoning would have been
forced to give up their legal rights and funneled into a proposed
administrative system that was woefully under funded; even pending
cases and existing settlements would have been extinguished under the
bill. In addition, restrictive eligibility criteria in the bill would
have left tens of thousands of victims, perhaps many more, without any
compensation whatsoever.

Thank you for all your help in this fight; ATLA will continue to
stand up for the rights of your clients, but we will undoubtedly need
to request your help again. When trial lawyers speak up for the rights
of ordinary Americans, there is no more powerful voice.

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