Patty Murray: “My response is, before we pass something, we better understand how it will affect the rights and the lives of everyday…”

“My response is, before we pass something, we better understand how it will affect the rights and the lives of everyday, average Americans. Unfortunately, the bill before the Senate will unfairly tip the scales of justice against average citizens. It will give big businesses even more power to avoid responsibility for their actions and it will delay justice for many victims who deserve justice. We do not have to look very far to see why average citizens need access to courts. Look at this morning's newspaper from Seattle, WA. It reports that the Federal Government indicted the W.R. Grace Company for knowingly sickening workers and residents of Libby, MT, where hundreds of people have died from asbestos exposure. The indictment charges that the company officials knew of the dangers to workers in the community and created a conspiracy to hide those dangers. I hope these indictments will bring a small measure of justice to the thousands of people who have suffered in Libby and around the country. These people worked hard. They provided for their families. But the company they worked for knowingly poisoned them and then covered it up.”