FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2006
Contact: Jeffrey Mazzella
703-535-5836
CFIF Expresses Dismay in Letter to Senator Reid, Group Calls for Passage of Asbestos Reform
Alexandria, Va. The Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) today sent a letter to Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) expressing dismay at the Senator's recent comments from a January 25th interview with reporters regarding S. 852, the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution (FAIR) Act.
In the reporter session, Sen. Reid claimed that the FAIR Act leaves asbestos victims "out in the cold." In the same session, Sen. Reid also stated that the FAIR Act would cost U.S. businesses $900 billion.
Jeffrey Mazzella, president of CFIF and author of the letter, argues that the FAIR Act is the surest way to meet the needs of countless asbestos claimants, who are further victimized by a litigation quagmire.
"The FAIR Act is important legislation for real victims of asbestos exposure who are also victims of a protracted litigation climate plaguing our nation's civil justice system," Mazzella said. "Because of a litigation explosion, truly sick asbestos victims are waiting years for relief. The courts are clogged with claims of dubious merit. In many cases, real victims of asbestos exposure die before they receive justice."
In addressing the Senator, Mazzella also states: "Indeed, your claim that the FAIR Act would cost $900 billion is based on an unreliable study that was thoroughly debunked by the CBO. In fact, the CBO re-examined its estimate in light of that study and once again found that $140 billion would cover the cost. In addition, the CBO found that the study you referenced had numerous methodological errors and could not be relied upon in this debate."
Founded in 1998, the Center for Individual Freedom is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with the mission to protect and defend individual freedoms and individual rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.