'Fighting chance' to get asbestos bill out of committee next week, says Specter

By Ted A. Knutson

Washington, May 19 - There's a "fighting chance" that legislation for a privately financed $140 billion asbestos victims trust fund will clear the Senate Judiciary Committee by the Memorial Day recess, committee chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said Thursday.

Specter, manager of the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act, S. 852, said he is aiming for that deadline because Senate majority leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., wants to get the legislation to the floor in June.

A fly in the ointment for Specter's plans is talk of an all night Senate session Monday to bring the battle over judicial nominations.

However, Specter said he will ask Frist to exempt judiciary committee members from the still speculative Monday night session to allow them to hold a committee meeting the following morning to consider amendments to the asbestos bill.

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