Frank Lautenberg: “as we adopt this valuable legislation, I consider it important to clarify the history and intent of subsection 1(f) of…”

“as we adopt this valuable legislation, I consider it important to clarify the history and intent of subsection 1(f) of this bill, as amended, in the context of the bill as a whole. This is a key issue for American victims of state-sponsored terrorism who have sued or who will in the future sue the responsible terrorism-list state, as they are entitled to do under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1996. Victims who already hold U.S. court judgments, and a few whose related cases will soon be decided, will receive their compensatory damages as a direct result of this legislation. It is my hope and objective that this legislation will similarly help other pending and future Anti-Terrorism Act plaintiffs when U.S. courts issue judgments against the foreign state sponsors of specific terrorist acts. I am particularly determined that the families of the victims of Pan Am flight 103 should be able to collect damages promptly if they can demonstrate to the satisfaction of a U.S. court that Libya is indeed responsible for that heinous bombing.”