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Supreme Court nominee advocated asbestos fund
Supreme Court nominee advocated asbestos fund Staff and agencies19 October, 2005
37 minutes ago WASHINGTON - Earlier this year, U.S.
Supreme Court U.S.
Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers argued for an asbestos compensation fund favored by leaders of the Senate committee that will soon hold her confirmation hearing.
In speeches on several occasions, Miers, the White House counsel, advocated legal reform policies championed by President Bush , including curbs to asbestos injury lawsuits.
"We are grateful that Senator (Arlen) Specter has taken this (asbestos) issue up and is helping negotiate an effective bill," she said on April 5 in remarks to the American Tort Reform Association.
The White House gave transcripts of her speeches to the Senate Judiciary Committee this week as it prepares for her confirmation hearings.
Specter, the committee chairman, announced on Wednesday the panel would start the hearings on her nomination on November 7.
Asbestos fibers have been used in building materials, auto parts and other products for decades, but are linked to cancer and other diseases.
Hundreds of thousands of injury claims have pushed many companies into bankruptcy.
Specter, a Pennsylv, , ) of Vermont, have co-sponsored legislation to take asbestos suits out of the courts and pay the claims from a $140 billion privately-financed fund.
Their proposal was backed 13-5 by the Judiciary Committee in May, but amid doub...
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