Asbestos Legislation: The "FAIR" Act
Senator Murray is working tirelessly to raise awareness about asbestos and to explore how we can better protect workers and consumers including banning asbestos in America. More..
Asbestos Bill Slighting Victims in Arkansas
Arland "Bill" Blanton, a former manager for the W.R. Grace Manufacturing Co. plant in North Little Rock, has been told by his doctor that he has signs of asbestosis, a lung disease, after working with vermiculite for 20 years. Grace mined the material in Libby, Mont., then shipped it across the country, including to several sites in Arkansas. More...
Towards the end of last year, we quietly celebrated the failure to bring SB 1125 to a floor debate, but warned this monster had many heads and would soon re-appear. It now looks like Sen. Frist has made passing the Asbestos Bail-Out Bill a "priority." He has scheduled a vote in late March. More…
Creating a fair and equitable method of compensating victims of asbestos exposure is a noble goal. If done properly, it could significantly ease the burden that asbestos litigation has placed on our judicial system. More…
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Scottsdale, Arizona
Dear Sen. Kyl: I am a 57 year-old, life-long Republican who most likely will not live another year. I have malignant mesothelioma, an asbestos cancer for which there is no cure. More…
Feinstein Offers Asbestos Fund Compromise
Draft legislation that aims to bridge the gap between competing Senate plans for a U.S. asbestos compensation fund is being circulated by California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein (news, bio, voting record). More…
Message to Sen. Feinstein: Oppose SB 1125!
Dear Sen. Feinstein: I am a native Californian, and I am biased on this issue. My firm limits its representation to those with mesothelioma, and in rare instances -- probably less than 5% of our cases -- to those with significant asbestos exposure who have developed lung cancer. More…
Statement of Senator Feinstein on New Asbestos Bill
On July 10, 2003, Sen. Diane Feinstein joined nine Republican members of the Judiciary Committee in voting SB 1125, the "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution" Act, to the full Senate for its consideration. She had initially expressed many concerns about the fairness of SB 1125, particularly regarding the sufficiency of funding for the Bill's trust fund, delays in payments to claimants during set-up of the bureaucracy which would administer the trust, and the abrogation of pending settlements. More…
Senate Judiciary Commmittee - Michael Forscey
My name is Michael Forscey. I am a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Forscey and Stinson. I am appearing here today on behalf of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA). I have represented ATLA in the discussions conducted by Judge Becker pertaining to the establishment of a trust fund to pay asbestos claims. More…
Asbestos bill in U.S. Senate Undercut Recent Texas Legislation
After extensive hearings and debate this session, the Texas Legislature passed a bill, crafted by Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, that allows only those who have serious illnesses caused by inhaling asbestos to sue companies that made or used products containing the material. The compromise legislation drew grudging support from business and consumer advocates More…
Myths and Facts About the Hyde "Fairness" Bill
MYTH: Asbestos litigation is clogging the courts. More…
Proposed SB 1125 Opposition Letter, Courtesy of NYCOSH
NYCOSH ( http://www.nycosh.org ) urges everyone concerned about fair compensation for asbestos victims to contact their senators immediately and tell them to oppose S.1125, a bill introduced by Senator Orrin. Hatch (R.-Utah), which would prevent all lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers for asbestos-related injury and illness. More…
City leaders call on Wyden, Smith to reject asbestos bill
Never shy about wading into national policy debates, the Portland City Council is asking members of Congress to oppose an attempt to shield companies that produce asbestos from full financial liability More…
Proposed Senate Bill 1125 Bails Out Asbestos Corporations
10 Resons to Oppose the Hyde "Fairness"Bill
The so-called "Fairness in Asbestos Compensation Act," (S.758/H.R. 1283) creates a windfall for the asbestos industry but denies fair compensation to tens of thousands of American workers and their families. Here are ten reasons to oppose this unjust, unfair and burdensome legislation that will also force the American taxpayers to fund yet another federal bureacracy. More…
Take Action! Defeat not Fix S.1125
Some of our clients have had their cases completely resolved and wait for money promised by defendants in their case. Some have collected their settlements from defendants but await payments from current and future bankruptcy settlement trusts. More…
Agreement Reached on Asbestos Bill
Asbestos manufacturers and their insurers, which have been at bitter odds over a bill that would create a trust fund to compensate hundreds of thousands of victims of asbestos exposure, reached an important agreement Wednesday afternoon. More…
To review the latest draft of S.1125, please click here. It is a draft and there may be minor changes to it before it is filed (most likely this week). More…
Hatch Concedes Asbestos Bill Probably Will Fail
The chief sponsor of a compromise bill that would compensate victims of asbestos poisoning has conceded that it is not likely to attract enough bipartisan support to win Senate approval this year. More…
Hatch Flogs Asbestos Legislation
Around nine p.m., the Senate Judiciary Committee on a near party line 10 to 8 vote passed to the full Senate's consideration S. 1125, the Orwellian-titled "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act" (FAIR). More…
"Let's Kill The Trial Lawyers" Redux: Sen. Hatch Distorts the Truth, Again.
In a speech before the Senate on March 3, 2004, Sen Hatch again bashed the trial lawyers. In a familar refrain, he accused the trial lawyers of bankrupting corporate America, destroying jobs and pillaging the insurance industry. His words: More…
Panel OKs Bill Creating Asbestos Fund
Senators closed in on creating a $108 billion asbestos liability trust fund in exchange for an end to litigation - but Congress is still far from resolving how to pay people made ill by the material. More…
While asbestos companies and their insurers haggle over the price tag for their "deal of the Century," Senators should be asking-What about the victims? More…
US Chamber: Asbestos Pushed Back in Senate
Insurers and asbestos companies may take two more months to reach a deal to rescue asbestos legislation, because other items on the Senate's agenda have reduced the pressure for agreement, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (news - web sites) President Tom Donohue said on Thursday. More…
Asbestos Litigation Bill Up After Senate Class Action Debate
Senate Majority Leader Frist is planning to bring up asbestos litigation reform legislation after the chamber considers the class action bill, and he hopes that the asbestos bill that will get a floor vote will draw broader support than the committee version did. More…
Contact Your U.S. Senator: Vote "NO" on Asbestos Bail Out Bill! - By Roger G. Worthington
I wish I didn't have to write this. I don't like sounding alarmist -- there's already enough stress and pressure in the world. More…
Asbestos Factions Struggle To Settle Their 30-Year War
Manufacturers, trial lawyers, insurers and labor unions have been fighting over asbestos liability for 30 years. Now all the warring camps are as close as they've ever been to agreeing on a Congressional truce for one of the most expensive battles in industrial history. More…
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Searchlight, NV
Below is a note I have sent off to Senator Hatch, I will send copies off to my Senators and anyone else you think should see it. More...
I am a Times subscriber and have followed your coverage of the Hatch asbestos trust fund bill. I am a plaintiffs' attorney representing asbestos victims, so I have an ax to grind, but I am taking the liberty of drawing your attention to one particular aspect of the bill we find most troubling. More ...
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Rancho Mirage, CA
I am a victim of mesothelioma. No, I don't have the disease, but none-the-less, I am a victim. Our children are also victims. More ...
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Rancho Mirage, CA
Dear Senator Hatch, I am a mesothelioma victim and I am writing to express my strong opposition to S. 1125, the so-called "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act." I have many reasons for opposing S.1125. More...
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Rancho Mirage, CA
I write to express my strong opposition to S. 1125, the so-called "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act." More...
Sen. Specter's Latest Run at Bailing out the Asbestos Industry: A Crack in the Dike?
It may have failed to jolt you awake in the middle of the night when Sen. Arlen Specter proposed a tiny amendment to the budget resolution. In fact, the wording of the amendment 1 would have made sense to only a few insiders. More...
Senate Judiciary Commmittee - Bill Speicher
Good morning. My name is Billie Speicher and I appreciate the chance to talk to you today about the asbestos bill you've been working on. More...
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Ft. Atkinson, WI
have been writing and writing to you, now I am pleading, begging you to please listen to our story. I am on my hands and knees. My husband who is 41 yrs old is DYING from Mesothelioma, the rare asbestos cancer. He has pleural, peritoneal and pericardium meso. More…
Statement to Senate Judiciary Members
My name is Chris Stoeckler, I'm 41 years old and I have malignant mesothelioma. My cancer is wrapped around both of my lungs, my heart and my belly. More…
The below is a response from Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin to a letter from Wendy Stoeckler regarding HR 3339. Wendy's husband, Chris Stoeckler passed away from mesothelioma on December 21, 2006. More…
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Lakewood, NJ
Following is a draft of a letter I submitted to Senator Hatch this afternoon via Fax after becoming aware of tomorrows meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote on S.1125, the Bill proposed by Senator Hatch know as the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act. More…
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Lakewood, NJ
Please take a moment out of your busy schedule to read this letter describing a little know American tragedy. The tragedy is known to a relatively small number of Americans who have had the misfortune of being exposed, or have had a close friend or family member who has been exposed, to Asbestos during their lifetime. More…
Trust Fund Bill Would Exclude Many Asbestos Victims
The 72-year-old former safety manager for a lumber company, part-time helicopter medic and passionate photographer of Glacier National Park is shackled to an oxygen tube, which helps him breathe. He needs the oxygen to live. Scarring caused by asbestos fibers has made his supple lung tissue rough and leathery, like the covering of a football. More…
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Maplewood, MN
I am writing to ask you to show support for working men and women and their families. Specifically, I ask that you oppose S. 1125, legislation which would erode the rights of individuals diagnosed with diseases caused by asbestos. More…
Asbestos victims urge 'no' vote on legislation
Asbestos victims and their family members, including the widow of former Minnesota Rep. Bruce Vento, are opposing legislation to settle the nation's mass of asbestos injury suits. More…
Workers urge 'no' vote on national asbestos compensation bill
North Dakota workers who say they have suffered health problems from asbestos exposure in the workplace met Tuesday to urge North Dakota's senators to vote "no" on a bill that they say would delay and drastically cut compensation for workers and families of those hurt or killed by asbestos exposure. More…
What do you get when you cross a trial lawyer with a conservative Republican?
What do you get when you cross a trial lawyer with a conservative Republican? That might sound like just another trial-lawyer joke, but, in this case, there's no punch line. Crossing a trial lawyer with a conservative Republican gets you a serious effort to stop a serious mistake from being made. More…
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. El Cajon, CA
I am writing to express my very strong opposition to S. 1125, the so-called "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act." I lost my husband to malignant mesothelioma nine years ago. More…
Dr. Bret Williams, Fix the Problem!
My name is Bret Williams. I am a physician from North Carolina. I have a wife and three children. I am here today to speak against asbestos, to call for banning this substance from our lives and for research into better treatments for those harmed by it. My interest begins with personal experience. More…
Dr. Bret Williams to Sen. Frist: "First, Do No Harm!
The Senate begins debate Monday on setting up a $114 billion trust fund that would provide compensation to thousands of Americans suffering from asbestos-related diseases but bar them from suing. More…
Oppose Senate Bill 1125, Hillsborough, NC
Dear Senator Reid and Senator Dole: I am writing you to express my strong opposition to SB 1125, the so-called "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act." More…
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Anacortes, WA
I wish to explain how the "Hatch Asbestos Company Bailout" Bill (S1125) will effect people who have been stricken with asbestos diseases. And those who have yet to be diagnosed. More…
Oppose Senate Bill 1125. Austin, TX
Dear Senator Cornyn: I am writing to express my strong opposition to S. 1125, the so-called "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act." There are many reasons for opposing S.1125. More…
Asbestos Worker Calls "FAIR" a Farce and a Sham that Rewards "Sucker Punching" Asbestos Industry
This is hard to write. Its not sexy, it's not happy. It will make you mad. And who wants to sit eyeball to eyeball with a devil, and smell it's breath More…
Oppose Senate Bill 1125, Santa Rosa, CA
A list of letters from concerned mesothelioma victims. More…
Senator Murray
On July 31, 2001, at Senator Patty Murray request, the Senate's HELP Committee (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions) held a hearing on workplace exposure to asbestos. Senator Murray is working to raise awareness about asbestos and to explore how we can better protect workers and consumers. More…
Murray legislation finally makes it to Senate floor
A key Senate committee on Tuesday approved Washington Sen. Patty Murray's legislation banning asbestos from products sold in the U.S. More…
Sen. Murray Says Asbestos Ban Bill Making Progress
Standing with doctors, a patient, environmental experts, and advocates today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash) announced that her bill to ban asbestos will take a major step forward this month when it is marked-up by the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee. The "mark up" will be the first time Murray's bill makes it this far before this committee and reflects the bipartisan support Murray's legislation has gathered. More…
Murray renews her effort to ban asbestos
After six years of frustrating failure and a rising death toll, Sen. Patty Murray said Tuesday that she is optimistic that legislation banning the sale and use of cancer-causing asbestos will pass this year. More…
The Ban Asbestos In America Act of 2003
Asbestos is a known carcinogen, and there is no known safe level of exposure. In 1976, Congress passed legislation to regulate toxic substances (The Toxic Substances Control Act). In 1989 EPA finalized regulations to ban asbestos under TSCA. In 1991, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (New Orleans) overturned EPA’s final regulation to ban asbestos. More…
U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash) joined with Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn), two doctors, and dozens of asbestos victims and family members to urge Congress to improve the asbestos-liability bill that will be brought to the Senate floor next month. More…
Senator Murray Honors Brian Harvey, Advocate for Asbestos Victims
In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash) paid tribute to Brian Harvey, an asbestos victim and advocate, who died on July 22, 2005. More…
Sen. Murray to Sen. Hatch: Cure the Disease byBanning Asbestos, Funding Research
Dear Senator Hatch: I am writing regarding your ongoing efforts to seek a legislative solution to the large number of asbestos-related claims now pending, and expected to be filed, in the U.S. courts. While I certainly applaud your leadership and outreach to all the various interest groups involved, I have some concerns about the legislation you introduced last week. More…
Senators Call on EPA to Live Up to Its Word, WarnHomeowners on Asbestos-Tainted Insulation
Three United States Senators are renewing their call for EPA to conduct a public education campaign to warn homeowners about the potential hazards of asbestos-contaminated attic insulation that may be in as many as 35 million American homes, schools and businesses. More…
Murray renews her effort to ban asbestos
Sen. Patty Murray yesterday renewed her effort to ban asbestos, as the Senate inched toward considering legislation that would compensate victims of asbestos disease. More…
Murray Reaction Mixed to Judiciary Committee Passageof Asbestos Liability Bill
U.S. Senator Murray (D-Wash.) praised the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing an improved version of S. 1125, "The Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act," which now requires asbestos to be banned within two years. More…
Sen. Murray Opposes SB 2290, Praises Dr. Bret Williams, Dr. Pass, Chris Hahn and MARF
Mr. President, I rise today to share my serious concerns with the asbestos liability bill now before the Senate. As my colleagues know, this is not just another bill for me. This is something I've spent years learning about, educating my colleagues about, and writing legislation to address. More…
Murray, Senators, Doctors, and Victims Urge Congress to Protect Americans from Deadly Asbestos
U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash) joined with Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn), two doctors, and dozens of asbestos victims and family members to urge Congress to improve the asbestos-liability bill that will be brought to the Senate floor next month More…