Asbestos bill will fail, says author Hatch

http://www.thehill.com/news/041404/asbestos.aspx

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.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said the latest effort to pass asbestos litigation reform, which he introduced last week and is scheduled for consideration when the Senate returns from Easter recess, “probably” won’t receive enough Democratic votes to succeed. He added that sometimes you “have to lose to win.”

Last year, Hatch’s committee narrowly approved his bill to create a trust fund to compensate victims of asbestos poisoning. But the full Senate never voted on the measure because of disagreements over several provisions, including the size of the fund.

Hatch’s new bill includes compromises worked out by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who has held weekly meetings on asbestos with congressional aides, organized labor, insurers, industry and the trial lawyers.