Senate Votes 70-27 to Kill Medical Criteria Amendment

WASHINGTON -- The Senate has voted 70-27 in favor of tabling an amendment proposed by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, that would have eliminated the proposed asbestos victims fund.

Cornyn's amendment would have shifted the dynamic of S. 852 from the proposed trust fund structure to medical criteria legislation. The Texas senator said during the ongoing Senate hearings that he had the support of 14 fellow Republicans behind the amendment, which would have allowed asbestos lawsuits to proceed under strict medical criteria.

The Coalition for Asbestos Reform had already pledged its support for Cornyn's amendment, saying it was 'the responsible …