The U.S. Senate defeated a bill in late April that would have set up a special asbestos court to hear all claims for damages by injured workers and others against companies that manufacture and use asbestos-containing material or have done so in the past. The vote, which was on a procedural motion that requires 60 votes to pass, was 50 in favor and 47 against. All Senate Republicans voted for the bill; only one Senate Democrat, Zell Miller of Georgia, voted for it.
The bill was the tenth legislative proposal to limit the liability of asbestos companies to be defeated sine 1977.