In an attempt to end a legislative standoff, Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle recently proposed a $141 billion trust fund to compensate victims of asbestos exposure, says Bloomberg.

The proposal includes $42 billion to be paid during the first five years by companies facing asbestos lawsuits and their insurers, and $4 billion from assets of bankruptcy trusts.

“On the key issue of funding, we remain concerned that while it’s a step forward, it is still short of the mark based on the last discussions on projections of future claims,” says Peg Seminario, director of occupational safety for the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Operations.

In April, Democrats blocked a $124 billion Republican plan to fund litigation that has bankrupted more than 70 companies, saying asbestos makers and their insurers should have to contribute at least $30 billion more for workers exposed to asbestos.

Seminario says that while Daschle’s proposal addresses many unresolved issues, she wonders if a deal is possible given “how far apart the parties remain.’