Barbara Boxer: “I am going to support the budget point of order on S. 852. I want to explain why I am doing this. First, I want to say…”

“I am going to support the budget point of order on S. 852. I want to explain why I am doing this. First, I want to say if anybody has listened to Senator Kent Conrad talk about what is going to happen in the outyears with this bill, the trust fund, if anyone listened to him, it seems very difficult to me to vote against this budget point of order. We are on the edge of passing a bill that is masquerading as a solution to a deadly problem, and asbestos victims need to know the truth. Frankly, they were lied to once when companies exposed their workers to asbestos without telling them of the danger, and I don't want to lie to these victims again. The simple truth is there are not sufficient funds in the trust fund to compensate all the current and future asbestos victims. We should not compound the problem of the past by offering false promises and cutting victims off from help. I know there are many who don't agree with what I have just said, but I think if, again, you listen to Senator Conrad, and you go back to see what has happened to other trust funds, I think it is very clear there are not enough funds in this trust fund. Some estimates are it is perhaps 50 percent of what it ought to be. Some say that people will go back to court if there are not enough funds. I know that is a very well meaning part of this bill, but it isn't as easy as all that. It is going to be very difficult for people in the future years.…”