Chances of Congress passing major asbestos litigation reform suffered a critical setback tonight when legislation creating a trust fund for asbestos injury claimants failed to overcome a Senate procedural hurdle.

The move to end floor action on the bill was crafted by an unlikely coalition of conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats.

Its success was a victory for a majority of insurers who for various reasons opposed the legislation as drafted by Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, its ranking minority member.

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