Subpoena? You don't need no stinkin' subpoena!

Senator Specter is threatening to subpoena various defendant corporations to determine their contributions to a proposed asbestos trust fund. Now, why the author of the bill would need to subpoena that information seems strange. Why he would agree to sponsor the bill without that information is beyond me. Isn't how much each defendant contributes to the fund an essential element of the bill? Otherwise, without that information, there's a pretty good chance that the fund won't be fully, you know, funded.

Why the senator is threatening a subpoena also seems odd. Why not just threaten to withdraw the bill? If the corporations really want the fund, they'll pony up the info. Of course, if they are opposed to the fund, you'll never get that information out of them and it would be better simply to set their contribution and call it a tax or fine or something. Maybe it would be easier to confirm a Justice to the Supreme Court?