Eric Swalwell: “I thank the ranking member for his leadership on this issue, and I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 982, the FACT Act.…”

“I thank the ranking member for his leadership on this issue, and I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 982, the FACT Act. It is a fact that asbestos can be found in thousands of products and locations. It is a fact that asbestos is a deadly carcinogen which kills about 10,000 Americans a year. It is a fact that trusts were set up so victims could still be compensated even when asbestos companies went bankrupt. It is also a fact that there is no evidence of systemic fraud or abuse in these asbestos trusts. It is also a fact that H.R. 982 would put tremendous new administrative burdens on these trusts. It is a fact that the result of this bill would make it more difficult for victims of asbestos exposure and their families to achieve justice. With all of these facts, the evidence is clear: the FACT Act is a fact in name only, and instead, what it claims to do is really a fiction. It is just another part of the majority's historic and ongoing hostility to victims and their attorneys who are trying to achieve justice through our courts. Instead of working to make it easier for victims to be compensated, instead of working on a whole host of other problems facing the American people, we are targeting innocent asbestos victims who are merely trying to be compensated for a wrong done to them. I urge all of my colleagues to reject this misguided legislation.”