Legislative Background on Redress for Terrorism Victims
Recent Action by Congress on the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
Legislation to allow families of the victims of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil to sue foreign governments linked to the assaults was first introduced in Congress in 2009. Although different versions of the bill came close to passage in 2012 and 2014, it wasn’t until the current, 114th Congress, that legislators acted decisively on it. Introduction of JASTA. On September 16, 2015, Senators Chuck Schumer (NY-D) and John Cornyn (TX-R) introduced the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), stating that the bill was “long-sought after by families of 9/11 in order to bring a small amount of justice for…
