Anti-Terrorism Legislation is 13th Judiciary Bill to Become Law under Chairman Grassley
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Congress today overwhelmingly overturned President Obama’s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is an original cosponsor of the legislation and, as chairman, led it through the Judiciary Committee in February. It passed the full Senate unanimously in May.
“Those who seek to harm Americans whether through direct terrorist acts or through supporting those acts must be held accountable. I led the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act through the Judiciary Committee to ensure foreign governments that sponsor terrorism cannot hide behind sovereign immunity laws. United States victims of terrorism and their families deserve the opportunity to bring those who support terrorism to justice, plain and simple. Had the Senate not overridden the President’s veto, those who sponsor terrorism on American soil could continue to hide behind sovereign immunity, in the shadows, out of the reach of justice. But Congress took swift, bipartisan and resounding action today to call these sponsors on the carpet and hold them accountable for their actions,” Grassley said.
The bipartisan bill holds accountable in U.S. courts foreign sponsors of terrorism that target Americans by preventing them from invoking “sovereign immunity” in cases involving terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. It also permits civil suits to be filed against foreign entities that have aided or abetted terrorists who conduct such attacks.
In the absence of this legislation, courts have blocked such terrorism-related claims that Congress intended to permit. This bill clarifies congressional intent to allow cases against foreign entities that raise money for, fund or otherwise assist terrorism operations carried out in the United States. Grassley is an original cosponsor of the bill, which was reported out of committee by a vote of 19-0. It passed the Senate unanimously, and the House of Representatives by voice vote. President Obama vetoed the bill last Friday.
The Senate voted 97-1, to override President Obama’s veto. Democrat Harry Reid was the only senator to side with the President. The House overrode the veto by a vote of 348-77.
The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act is the 13th bill to become law that Grassley led out of the Judiciary Committee. By comparison, only five Judiciary Committee-passed bills became law in the previous Congress under Democrat leadership.
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