The Asbestos Alliance | How To Voice Your Support

Key Points

Here are some ideas for points to include in your letter. These are meant only as suggestions. To personalize your letter, feel free to alter these points and add your own thoughts.

Be sure to open your letter by addressing the Senator by their title and last name. For example:

Dear Senator Smith:

Key Points to Remember for the Letter:

Senators Specter and Leahy have introduced a new and improved asbestos trust fund bill. S. 3274, the "Fairness in Asbestos Injury (FAIR) Act of 2006," addresses many concerns raised earlier this year during Senate debate on the earlier bill.

Urge your Senators to join their colleagues in moving trust fund legislation forward this year.

The asbestos litigation crisis continues to worsen. We have already seen nearly 80 bankruptcies, costing an estimated 60,000 jobs. Absent congressional action soon, more companies will be forced into bankruptcy and tens of thousands more jobs could be lost.

Asbestos legislation will not only help victims, but also deliver a booster shot to the economy by stimulating growth and creating jobs. A new study by NERA Economic Consulting estimates that a trust fund bill would save $71 billion in administrative and legal costs alone, plus an additional $13.7 billion in future bankruptcy costs.

An asbestos victims' trust fund bill offers major advantages to today's broken system:

provides guaranteed, fair and generous compensation to victims.
replaces the unpredictable court system with certainty for victims and businesses.
slashes the enormous transaction costs (only 42 cents on the dollar going to victims today).
provides upfront money in the early years to get the fund running.
protects claimants if the fund runs out of money.
uses no taxpayer money.
halts the domino effect of bankruptcies and resulting job losses.
eliminates the fraud problems plaguing the current litigation system.

After ten attempts, going back to 1977, we have never been closer to solving the asbestos litigation crisis. We cannot miss this historic opportunity to enact long-overdue asbestos litigation reform.

America's asbestos litigation system is broken, and Congress must take action. Claims filed by people who are not yet sick clog the court system, hurt those who are sick, and impose a heavy financial burden, causing bankruptcies that delay and reduce resources available to pay those who are now sick or may become sick in the future.

The justice system has failed the asbestos test. The status quo is bad for companies, bad for workers and bad for our economy. Most importantly, the current system is hurting those who it should be helping the most-asbestos victims. The truly sick may wait years for compensation.

Reform efforts must ensure that the sick are fairly compensated and defendant companies remain financially viable to pay claims in the future. Many companies face an uncertain financial future with jobs and retirement plans at risk.

The asbestos crisis is a big concern to me, my family and my company

The Supreme Court has called for Congressional action on asbestos three times in the past decade. It's time to heed their call and solve this problem before it's too late. Congress must find a legislative solution fair to all parties and ensure that the sick and their families receive their just due.