Asbestos Bill Stays Alive as New Questions Arise

Last week the Senate voted down a medical criteria alternative to the trust fund. This alternative would've addressed the biggest abuse in the current litigation but most of the senators seen enamored with the trust fund or don't want any reform at all.

Specter's stated reason that employees of bankrupt companies would have no one to sue under the alternative sounds strange because 1) employees can claim worker's compensation against their employers even if the employer is bankrupt and 2) they can sue those who supplied asbestos-containing components (like raw fiber) to their employers.

Now the question is whether the senators that voted for the medical criteria will scuttle the trust fund bill or support it.