Patrick Leahy: “In the days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle came…”

“In the days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle came together to pass comprehensive legislation entitled 'The Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act.' This measure provided victims the option of filing a claim with a national compensation program or seeking limited damages in one Federal district court--the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Unfortunately, the legislation we passed failed to grant that trial court with the power to serve and enforce subpoenas outside of the traditional 100-mile radius of the Southern District of New York, even in the very cities where the hijacked flights originated and where two of them crashed on the morning of September 11. We were able to pass a legislative fix to this problem recently in the Senate. I understand that the House of Representatives is poised to pass the Senate bill today. I praise my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both Chambers for acting to provide nationwide service of subpoenas for the September 11 victims. Although no amount of compensation can replace a lost loved one, the Procedural Fairness for September 11 Victims Act offers a technical fix that is crucial to allowing victims and their families to have their claims fairly and thoroughly heard in court. I urge the President to sign this legislation into law without delay.”