Senate Leaders Agree on Size of Proposed Asbestos Trust Fund

WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on the size of a proposed trust fund that would be created to pay all pending and future asbestos claims outside of the tort system.

In a Sept. 15 letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), U.S. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said he would accept the $140 billion trust fund proposal Frist previously stated was essential for an accord.

Republicans earlier this year sent the $140 billion proposal to Democrats, who returned with a counterproposal indicating that $141 billion was needed to fund the trust.

In addition to the …