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Veterans, Workers, Seniors and Small Business Emphasize Support for Asbestos Trust Fund Legislation

SB Informer
Thursday, June 8, 2006; 03:09 AM

WASHINGTON - At today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on S.3274, the new "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution (FAIR) Act," witnesses representing asbestos victims, including veterans, asbestos workers and seniors, all reiterated their strong support for passage of asbestos trust fund legislation as the only real solution to the asbestos litigation crisis.

A trust fund "is the only solution that will effectively address the unique plight of veterans," said the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Dennis M. Cullinan, while the "so-called medical criteria solution ... would do nothing to help veterans." Jim Grogan, of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers, told the committee that the union "strongly supports your continued efforts to pass a bi-partisan Bill S.3274 that will ensure true, fair and just compensation to current victims and future victims of asbestos exposure." And Flora Green of The Seniors Coalition said "for the sake of victims, and especially for senior victims, it is critical that this bill be passed this year."

Yesterday, the National Federation of Independent Businesses sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter saying the bill "will protect innocent small-business owners from the asbestos litigation crisis that now threatens their business" and expressed support for S.3274. NFIB is the nation's largest small-business advocacy group representing the consensus views of its 600,000 members. And today at the hearing, Foster-Wheeler, a founding member of the Coalition for Asbestos Reform (a group which opposes trust fund legislation), noted that the company now has abandoned its opposition and "strongly supports" the newly introduced bill as "a fair compromise."

Regarding the testimony of Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, we note that Sen. Specter sharply questioned the inconsistency of today's testimony with his previous testimony on the official, non-partisan CBO report, which concluded that the trust fund would raise sufficient funds from contributions and be adequately funded to pay claims.

"It is clear that support for asbestos trust fund legislation continues to grow," said Michael Baroody, chairman of The Asbestos Alliance Steering Committee. "Today, we heard that support loud and clear from victims and companies. We urge the Senate to move the bill forward and onto the House."

The Asbestos Alliance represents a broad coalition of companies and trade associations that represent manufacturers and employees in every industrial sector in all 50 states.

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