Max Baucus: “I rise today to say I most regretfully oppose the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill. I do…”

“I rise today to say I most regretfully oppose the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill. I do not think we are quite ready. I do not think we are ready to tackle this important and complex legislation at this time. This is a bill that would end for decades the rights of individual citizens to seek justice and compensation for their injuries in a court of law. That is not something we should act on too quickly; that is, before we have a complete understanding of what it is that we are doing and how it will impact asbestos victims, businesses, insurers over the long run. Senators Hatch, Leahy, and Specter, though, and many others, have worked very hard on this bill. Because of their efforts, we have come closer to a final compromise than I think anyone would have believed possible early last year. That is why I am puzzled, frankly, that we feel the need to rush to the floor to finish this bill before we have exhausted all opportunities to come to a compromise on the outstanding and very tough issues. Negotiations have yielded significant progress in certain areas. I believe there is no reason to believe that continued negotiations will not yield even more progress. Being in the Senate, I have learned if one sticks to it and with it, one can find ways to work out solutions to very difficult problems. My primary concern, though, has always been protecting the people of Libby, MT, in any asbestos legislation that Congress considers.”