The New House Bill | FACT Act – Passed by the House

The Hudson Valley News Network (Kathy Welsch) recently ran a story on a Senator local to them. I picked up it via a Facebook posting from ADAO Director Linda Reinstein.

It’s a great article and you should read it in it’s entirety.

It starts by saying:

Schumer explained that recent legislation – the House-passed Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency (FACT) Act – passed by the House of Representatives would require those veterans who are sick and possibly dying from asbestos poisoning to disclose their personal information online, including their work histories, health records and parts of their Social Security Numbers, in order to receive financial compensation from companies that knowingly used this dangerous material.

After a recent, disappointing vote in the House to pass the FACT Act, it is nice to hear from those who oppose this Bill. Hundreds of asbestos-related deaths have occurred in New York each year. Within the article is a census breakdown from 1999 until 2013. Thousands more deaths are happening all around us – and a portion of Congress, and by in large Republicans, seem to think it is fine to re-victimize people already devastated by death or severe illness on the basis of a fraud that has yet to be proven. It’s disgusting. And shameful.

If I can quote a quote: “I am all for rooting out fraud,” said Schumer, “But we should do it with a scalpel, not a sledgehammer – especially when we are talking about our veterans.”