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February 27th, 2006
The Whitehouse has expressed some concerns about the latest asbestos bill being pushed through the senate. The Whitehouse has stated that there are various parts of the bill – designed to wipe out court based asbestos legislation and transfer all cases to the trust fund system – that are causing concern. One of the bill sponsor’s, Senator Arlen Specter, has agreed that there are areas that need to be sorted out.
A written statement was issued by the Whitehouse, part of which stated that work was required "to strengthen and improve this important legislation." Budget Committee democrats have estimated a $150 billion shortfall with the trust fund, and the risk of a cash shortage is one of the primary concerns with regards to the trust fund bill.
Arlen Specter made a brief statement about the concerns raised by the Whitehouse: "There are serious concerns that the administration has and I have, and ultimately, we're going to work through them as best we can. And then we're all going to have a judgment to make as to whether we think the bill, imperfect as it may be, is better than the current system."
He also said to reporters: "There is no doubt that this bill is better than the current system."
