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ABC News: Vets, victims swarm Capitol before asbestos vote
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Vets, victims swarm Capitol before asbestos vote
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ReutersFeb 7, 2006 — By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Military veterans and victims of
asbestos-related diseases fanned out in the U.S.
Capitol on
Tuesday to plead for and against an asbestos compensation bill
ahead of a Senate vote that aides said was too close to call.
For years, asbestos fibers were widely used for their
insulating and fire-retardant capabilities, but they are linked
to lung-scarring diseases, including cancer.
Hundreds of thousands of asbestos injury claims have been
filed, helping push into bankruptcy more than 70 U.S.
companies, including W.R.
Grace & Co.
and USG Corp..
A sponsor of the controversial Senate measure, Arlen
Specter, appealed to colleagues not to kill the bill to halt
asbestos lawsuits and create a $140 billion fund for
compensating asbestos victims.
A key procedural vote in the
Senate was set for 6 p.m ET (2...
Read more...