Specter Wants to Push Action on Asbestos Trust Fund Legislation

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., continues to try to collect 59 signatures on a letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., to document that he has the votes needed to waive the budget point of order on S. 852, the Specter-Leahy Asbestos Trust Fund Legislation; however, he's encountering significant reluctance.

First of all, Sen. Specter continues to state his belief that he has the 60 votes needed to overcome the budget point of order.

On March 6, speaking on the Senate floor, Sen. Specter said, "I am asking senators to take a look at the bill and tell me what it is they would like to see done in order to have the bill receive the requisite support here to overcome the budget point of order. I think we have the votes already there to overcome cloture and to have a bill that can be enacted."

Sen. Specter also claimed to have 60 votes in a Republican conference meeting last week, but Sen. Frist reportedly dismissed it because the challenge was to get 60 votes to invoke cloture on the asbestos bill, not simply waive the budget point of order.

Sen. Frist is focused on other legislative business including lobby reform and immigration, and he is not prepared to bring asbestos back up until he's absolutely guaranteed 60 votes to limit debate.

Source: NAMIC

Posted: Thursday, March 09, 2006 12:00:00 AM. Modified: Thursday, March 09, 2006 9:04:37 AM.

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