Dick Durbin: “Let me respond, if I may. Why is this cloaked in secrecy? Why is this a secret conversation? How can we have confidence…”

“Let me respond, if I may. Why is this cloaked in secrecy? Why is this a secret conversation? How can we have confidence that the $140 billion figure has any validity? How can we have confidence that the businesses that will be called on are going to be able to contribute to this fund if this is cloaked in secrecy and confidentiality? Most of these lawsuits are open, public record. It is hard for me to imagine that a business is going to be sued because someone has identified them as a potential contributor to this trust fund. Nevertheless, if we are expected to replace the court system in America with this new trust fund system, how can we do it with any confidence if all the information is not on the table? Why the secrecy? What are we concealing? What we are concealing, frankly, is the most controversial elements of this bill: a question of whether $140 billion will actually pay the victims--and I doubt that it will--a question of whether companies are going to be asked to pay into this trust fund who shouldn't be asked to pay into the trust fund and, subsequently, may be forced into bankruptcy, closing their doors because of it. These are questions of great moment. To say a staff person can have access to secret files in an office hardly gives any comfort in the midst of a public debate about an issue of this magnitude.”