Congress Adjourns without Asbestos Trust Fund Resolution;
Senate Leaders Outline Lingering Issues

photo-1WASHINGTON -- The 108th U.S. Congress concluded Oct. 11 without resolving differences that for more than half of the session have stood in the way of a proposal to create a nearly $140 billion trust fund to pay asbestos-related personal injury claims.

Senate leaders acknowledged in the waning days of the session that the trust fund bill would not pass before Congress adjourned for the November elections, despite last-minute efforts to work out guidelines for the fund's structure.

Remaining issues that have prevented passage of the trust fund bill could potentially be addressed when Congress is anticipated to reconvene …