Claiming that asbestos lawsuits clog the courts and cost jobs, President Bush urged Congress Friday to change the way people are compensated for illness caused by the deadly material. “The system isn’t fair right now,” Bush said.
“It’s not fair to those who are getting sued and it’s not fair for those who justly deserve compensation,” said Bush, appearing at a performing arts center just north of Detroit. He claimed that companies have been forced into bankruptcy because of asbestos-related litigation that has cost the nation about $80 billion — the majority of which is not seen by victims but swallowed up by legal and processing fees.
