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| Mar May |
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To watch or listen to
the Senate floor live please visit
CSPAN2
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Monday, April 19, 2004 |
Senator DeWine continuing to speak on asbestos, said that although he has heard from Ohioans that oppose this bill, he hopes the Senate will be able to debate this legislation. S.2290, the FAIR Act is one of many asbestos related bills that have been introduced in the Senate, including another bill with the same title that went through the usual committee process. The bill that members have been speaking about today, S.2290, was introduced on April 7, 2004 but was not referred to the Judiciary Committee.
3:54:44 PM 
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Senator DeWine, a member of the Judiciary Committee, is speaking about the Asbestos bill and the affect that asbestos lawsuits have had in his home state of Ohio. He said that asbestos litigation have had a dramatic affect on jobs in Ohio, because some companies that have never produced asbestos are being sued. Senator DeWine stated that we need to be able to guarantee fairness for business. He also said that a current ad campaign implies that Congress wants to bail out companies that are fault.
3:35:06 PM
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Senator Wyden of Oregon is speaking about the high cost of oil and gas. He has said that citizens of Oregon are paying an all time high for gas and that the President needs to put pressure on OPEC to have them cut the price of oil. Senator Wyden said that there is no substitute for leadership when American families are hurting. He asked that the Senate consider a resolution that would increase pressure on OPEC.
2:59:04 PM
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Senator Hatch has continued to speak about the proposed FAIR Act. He has said the time to act is now, that we have studied the issue, held hearings and had markups without passing a bill. Senator Hatch charged that members of the other party do not want to go forward with the Asbestos debate because lawyers are expected to put up large amounts of money for the Democratic candidate for President.
2:14:34 PM
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The Judiciary Committee, which Senator Hatch chairs, is responsible for overseeing the Asbestos language that is the focus of today's session. Senator Hatch said that he supports this bill, titled the FAIR Act, because in many cases asbestos victims see only a small fraction of the total financial amount they are awarded. Using a floor chart to support his claim, Senator Hatch said that under the current tort system, one Navy veteran has received no compensation, but under the FAIR Act, he would receive $1 million.
1:52:27 PM
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Senator Hatch of Utah, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, took a few minutes to speak about the sacrifices many soldiers in Iraq are making. He has said that it is pretty hard to make a case that we should not be in Iraq and that we should not have deposed Saddam Hussein. Senator Hatch has said that some are willing to make arguments against being in Iraq based soley on the fact that they are against military action.
1:40:56 PM
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Senator Dewine of Ohio is speaking about an issue that was reported in the Washington Post this past weekend. The news story related accounts of child abuse and drug use at the Oak Hill Detention Center. Senator Dewine said that these are signs of a broken foster care system.
1:32:10 PM
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Senator Daschle is offering a few words about the ongoing conflict in Iraq. He notes the deaths of over 700 troops is taking a toll on the families of all troops. Senator Daschle has paid tribute to all the sacrifices that soldiers and their families have made. He is now speaking about some of the individuals that have lost their lives, including a member of the South Dakota National Guard that was killed this weekend.
1:11:29 PM
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The Senate Chaplain is offering the daily prayer before the Senate recites the Pledge of Allegiance. Each session of the Senate opens with this tradition.
1:05:19 PM
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At 1:00 p.m. today, the Senate will reconvene for a period of morning business before beginning consideration of S.2290, the Asbestos bill. No votes are scheduled for today.
9:30:25 AM
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Today's Fun Vermont Trivia Question:
In 1864, each state was asked to give two statues to the U.S. Capitol to honor notable people in their state's history. Vermont gave its statues in 1876 and 1881. Who are the statues of?
Last Week's Question: Who was the first woman elected to the Vermont State House of Representatives?
Answer: In 1920, Edna Beard was elected as the first woman to the Vermont State House of Representatives. |
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9:28:21 AM
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