Hope for Asbestos Bill Blossoms, Then Withers

[Rose Siding]

As the legislative day dawned on Capitol Hill yesterday, an unexpected ray of hope arrived with it: A bill to resolve the asbestos crisis, pronounced dead a month ago, appeared to be alive once more.

"I think that we are very close to a deal," Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the leading advocate of a legislative solution, said at a news conference.

The stock market took heart, and shares of such asbestos-tainted companies as W.R. Grace & Co. and USG Corp. rose briskly.
....
But by dinnertime, it appeared the measure had stalled, as its predecessors had in previous years.
....
In the past year or so, the litigation climate has shifted. Some courts have been restricting asbestos injury claims, while others have told plaintiffs they will have to stand by until such time as they can show clear injury. Some states, such as Ohio, have tightened their laws.

This may have been a factor in the willingness of some Democrats to accept Specter's bill, even though its funding would be less than critics said is necessary....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48253-2005Apr12.html?nav=rss_politics

[MeasureTwice]

1. It's a crisis, is it?

I'm suprised they're still working on this, since they bailed out Halliburton with Iraq contacts. I'd assumed it was always about saving Halliburton from the effects of Cheney's purchase of a multi-billion dollar asbestos liability.
It's surely no longer a top priority like the last time they were trying to sneak it through.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/03/national/main664479.shtml

[Festivito]

3. New term, same old corruption. nt

[catzies]

5. Good call, and a "Welcome to DU!"

:hi: Welcome, MeasureTwice!

[w4rma]

2. What's the "crisis" again? That alot of folks are dying of asbestos

poisoning because the owners of these large corporations (such as Haliburton) don't want to pay the medical bills to treat the ailments caused by their buisness practices?

Oh wait. That's not the "crisis". The the "crisis" is that these corporations are losing their cases in the courts once juries hear exactly what they've been doing and these corporations' owners are afraid their stock prices might fall somewhat if they have to actually help these folks with their medical bills.

Gotta love those Republican "crisises".

[Egalitariat]

4. They say the crisis is that people who aren't sick are getting money

from companies that never made asbestos.

I've never heard anyone complain about people who are actually sick getting money from the companies that actually made them sick.

[TheDebbieDee]

6. What's that about Bill Withers? Is he doing okay?.....