Last night the Senate Judiciary Committee approved asbestos disease compensation legislation (S. 1125) that shortchanges millions of asbestos disease victims. Rather than passing a bill to provide fair compensation for workers and their family members, the committee, on a largely partisan vote, decided it was more important to limit the liability of the companies responsible for this disease epidemic.

The AFL-CIO has supported efforts to develop national asbestos disease compensation legislation that would provide victims fair, timely and certain compensation. While the committee adopted some improved amendments, the bill does not achieve this end and would leave many victims worse off than in the current system. We will continue to push for an agreement that is fair to victims, but will strongly oppose any efforts to pass the bill in its current form.