Burgess Owens: “This is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill…”

“This is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. This motion to recommit very simply exempts veterans and Active Duty servicemembers from the reporting requirements of the underlying bill. We celebrated Veterans Day 2 days ago with much thanks and praise. Now we propose to punish those very same folks whom we praised. Under the guise of transparency, H.R. 982 requires quarterly reports of claims and payouts made against asbestos trust funds, which provide remedies to victims of asbestos exposure while allowing companies to continue to operate. A strict set of fraud prevention steps already exists when seeking an asbestos claim. In fact, a 2011 GAO report did not find any evidence of overt fraud during its examination of asbestos trusts. Mr. Speaker, 30 percent of asbestos victims are veterans. Let me repeat that: 30 percent of asbestos victims are veterans. The reporting requirement created by this bill will delay claims payments to these men and women who have served their country and are now suffering from deadly diseases, including lung cancer and mesothelioma, because of asbestos exposure. Victims of mesothelioma typically only live 4 to 18 months after diagnosis. This final amendment will ensure we do not unnecessarily delay a claim to a veteran with just months to live.…”