On the recordNovember 13, 2013
I thank my friend, Mr. Conyers. Mr. Chairman, it is deeply troubling to see that today the House of Representatives might vote to pass the so-called FACT Act, or Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act. I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill because it is not about transparency. It is not about accountability. It is absolutely not about justice. The FACT Act is nothing more than a thinly veiled attack on the rights of cancer victims and their families. That is the only way I can describe a piece of legislation that undermines the constitutional rights of asbestos victims and even threatens the privacy of victims and their families. The FACT Act does nothing to protect the rights of victims like Genevieve Bosilevac, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma just a few days before her 48th birthday in 2009, and widows like Judy Van Ness, who lost her husband to asbestos-caused disease. Victims of mesothelioma do not have the luxury of time. This brutal form of cancer is hard to detect until it has progressed significantly and all too often already compromised vital internal organs. Despite the dire implications of this diagnosis, the FACT Act would place additional burdens on victims and even delay court proceedings to the point that a victim would die before receiving any financial assistance through the asbestos trust fund. If anything, this body should be looking at ways to make it easier to identify legitimate asbestos victims and fast-track their cases.…
