House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) released the following statement prior to the hearing:
“Under current U.S. law, legal barriers stand in the way of terrorism victims’ access to justice against those, including foreign governments, who aid and abet foreign terrorist organizations. JASTA attempts to address these barriers to justice to ensure that those who provide material support to those who would do us harm are held fully accountable for the roles they play in facilitating terrorist attacks.
“While JASTA was passed unanimously by the Senate, the legislation has not had a formal hearing since 2010. The House Judiciary Committee believes that it should hear from all sides on the merits of the legislation before advancing it for consideration by the whole House of Representatives. We look forward to hearing from experts and members of the executive branch on the critical foreign policy issues at play with this legislation.”
Witness Panel 1
| Name | Occupation | Organization | Testimony | Truth in Testimony |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambassador Anne Patterson | Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs | U.S. Department of State | ||
| Honorable Brian Egan | Legal Advisor | U.S. Department of State |
Witness Panel 2
| Name | Occupation | Organization | Testimony | Truth in Testimony |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honorable Michael Mukasey | Of Counsel | Debevoise & Plimpton LLP | ||
| Richard Klingler | Partner | Sidley Austin LLP | ||
| Paul Stephan | Professor of Law | University of Virginia School of Law | ||
| Jimmy Gurulé | Professor of Law | Notre Dame Law School |