[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 49 (Thursday, April 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4059-S4060]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                MEASURE PLACED ON THE CALENDAR--S. 2290

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk 
which is due for its second reading.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the bill by title for a 
second time.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2290) to create a fair and efficient system to 
     resolve claims of victims for bodily injury caused by 
     asbestos exposure, and for other purposes.

  Mr. FRIST. I object to further proceedings on the measure at this 
time in order to place the bill on the Calendar under the provisions of 
rule XIV.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The bill will be placed on 
the calendar.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, many Members have been troubled by the 
fact that we are, apparently, after all of the work we have made to get 
to a point where we have a finite list, more extensive perhaps than 
either of us would like on the FSC bill, we are actually not going to 
go to the FSC bill; we are going to the asbestos bill.
  As the majority leader knows from conversations I have had with him, 
it is unlikely this legislation will be able to move--not because we do 
not want to work on a bill that ultimately can become law to address 
the very legitimate concerns both of us have, all of us have with 
regard to asbestos, but as we have seen with malpractice, this is not 
the way to do it.
  One would think that perhaps this is just another effort politically 
that will not have any result legislatively. I am not ascribing 
motives, but I hope there could be a real bona fide effort to work 
through the issues prior to the time we force votes on the floor, 
especially when we have other legislation for which many of us have 
been working hard to move, including the FSC bill.
  Having said that, obviously, I am not in a position to stop the 
majority leader from moving as he has parliamentarily, and I will 
continue to express the hope that we can find some constructive 
solutions that reflect a

[[Page S4060]]

real compromise as we address this very important issue.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. FRIST. I will respond to both of these issues. Asbestos is an 
issue the Senator from Delaware and I know the Democratic leader feel 
strongly about. It is an important bill, a bill we should address. We 
need to figure out the way to best address it.
  The introduction of the bill is an attempt to advance the law so we 
can address it. We will continue discussions as the best way to address 
it.
  Regarding the FSC/ETI, the JOBS bill, as he said, we have more 
amendments than either of us would like. It has been difficult to get 
it to the point we did. But it, too, is a bill we absolutely must 
address and we will continue to address.
  I am hopeful over the recess, regarding both of these bills, Members 
will look at, spend time with, and discuss and debate them in a 
bipartisan way.

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