Patty Murray's Washington View

PATTY MURRAY'S WASHINGTON VIEW

U.S. Senator Patty Murray's Weekly Report to the People of Washington - April 23, 2004

Fighting for Victims of Asbestos-Related Illness

On Wednesday, in a speech on the Senate floor, I voiced my serious concerns with the Frist/Hatch asbestos liability bill that was before the Senate yesterday. This bill is inadequate and I am pleased that it was defeated in a 50-47 vote.
Asbestos liability is a real problem. It's a problem for victims, and it's a problem for companies. We need a balanced solution. For the past three years I've worked to see that victims of asbestos-related illness are fairly treated and compensated for the negligence and duplicity that have hurt them and their families so deeply. Unfortunately, the bill the Senate voted on this week was not a serious solution. For example, the trust fund was too small to compensate all the victims, having been cut by more than $40 billion from the bill that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee last year. The bill also would have imposed restrictive hurdles on family members who were exposed to asbestos through no fault of their own. Those hurdles reduced the chance that family members would receive any compensation. In addition, the bill did nothing to educate the public on the existence and dangers of asbestos in their daily lives, a key feature of the legislation that I introduced in May 2002. Finally, the Frist/Hatch bill did not sufficiently invest in research, tracking or treatment for asbestos-related diseases.

That's why I voted against the bill. I'll keep fighting for the right kind of compensation for current and future victims, for their families, and for average Americans who are being exposed to deadly asbestos every day without even knowing it.

See the video of my speech at: