Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Justice for Victims of Terror

Washington, D.C.  – On Thursday, July 14, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice will hold a legislative hearing on S. 2040, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which recently passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support.  The hearing will examine the Senate approved version of JASTA, which would amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to allow victims of terrorism to seek judicial redress against countries that aid and abet terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.  JASTA would also amend the Anti-Terrorism Act(ATA) to make clear that those who aid, abet, or conspire with Foreign Terrorist Organizations are liable for damages under the ATA. Witnesses for Thursday’s hearing are: Panel I

• Ambassador Anne W. Patterson, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Department of State
• The Honorable Brian J. Egan, Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State

Panel II

• The Honorable Michael B. Mukasey, Of Counsel, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
• Mr. Richard D. Klingler, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
• Mr. Paul B. Stephan, Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law
• Mr. Jimmy Gurule, Professor of Law, Notre Dame Law School

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) released the following statement prior to the hearing: “Under current U.S. law, legal barriers stand in the way of terrorism victims’ access to justice against those, including foreign governments, who aid and abet foreign terrorist organizations.  JASTA attempts to address these barriers to justice to ensure that those who provide material support to those who would do us harm are held fully accountable for the roles they play in facilitating terrorist attacks. “While JASTA was passed unanimously by the Senate, the legislation has not had a formal hearing since 2010.  The House Judiciary Committee believes that it should hear from all sides on the merits of the legislation before advancing it for consideration by the whole House of Representatives.  We look forward to hearing from experts and members of the executive branch on the critical foreign policy issues at play with this legislation.” The hearing will take place in 2237 Rayburn House Office Building and will be webcast live at /. Camera crews wishing to cover must be congressionally credentialed and RSVP with the House Radio-TV Gallery at (202) 225-5214. Click here to learn more about this hearing. ###