From The Hill
The upper chamber approved the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act by unanimous consent.
“This bill is very near and dear to my heart as a New Yorker because it would allow the victims of 9/11 to pursue some small measure of justice,” Schumer said. “[This is] another example of the [John] Cornyn-Schumer collaboration, which works pretty well around here.”
The legislation will allow victims of terror attacks on U.S. soil or surviving family members to bring lawsuits against nation-states for activities supporting terrorism.
Despite bipartisan support for the legislation, it hit a snag last month when Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he was blocking the legislation over concerns it would open up the U.S. to lawsuits from foreigners accusing Washington of supporting terrorism.
But Graham’s office said he dropped his hold over the recent recess. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) thanked Graham and other GOP senators for “their willingness to work with us to deal with their concerns.”
The legislation will now head to the House, where lawmakers have also introduced their own version of the bill.
