Justice for Victims of Torture and Terrorism Act

To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to remove the authority of the President to waive certain provisions.

9/15/2008--Passed House amended. Justice for Victims of Torture and Terrorism Act - Terminates the authority of the President to grant the government of Iraq immunity from actions by victims of terrorism seeking compensation for injuries caused by officials, employees, or agents of the government of Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War when such government was classified as a state sponsor of terrorism, unless the President certifies to Congress that Iraq has adequately settled specified claims of U.S. soldiers and civilians held in Iraq as POWs and hostages and subject to state-sponsored torture and terrorism. Provides an exception to the termination of such authority if the President certifies that:
(1) Iraq has not compensated any foreign persons or entities for claims or liabilities incurred by or under the control of the Saddam Hussein regime, including commercial or financial claims and claims for acts against individuals similar to those described above; or
(2) negotiations are ongoing with Iraq to settle the American claims, and the President believes that those negotiations are being conducted in good faith and could lead to a satisfactory settlement. Limits the latter certification period to 180 days (with authorized renewals by the President). Defines various adequate settlement amounts, depending on the victim, length of torture or detainment, etc. Prohibits the use of any U.S. funds to pay any claim covered under this Act.


... morehide bill summary

Sponsor

• Rep. Bruce Braley [D, IA-1]
• and 38 Co-Sponsors
  • Rep. Russ Carnahan [D, MO-3]
  • Rep. Kathy Castor [D, FL-11]
  • Rep. John Conyers [D, MI-14]
  • Rep. Joe Courtney [D, CT-2]
  • Rep. Elijah Cummings [D, MD-7]
  • Rep. Danny Davis [D, IL-7]
  • Rep. Keith Ellison [D, MN-5]
  • Rep. Barney Frank [D, MA-4]
  • Rep. Charles Gonzalez [D, TX-20]
  • Virgil Goode
  • Rep. Raul Grijalva [D, AZ-7]
  • Rep. John Hall [D, NY-19]
  • Rep. Phil Hare [D, IL-17]
  • Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D, NY-22]
  • Rep. Mazie Hirono [D, HI-2]
  • Darlene Hooley
  • Rep. Darrell Issa [R, CA-49]
  • Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D, TX-18]
  • Rep. Samuel Johnson [R, TX-3]
  • Rep. Henry Johnson [D, GA-4]
  • Rep. Steve Kagen [D, WI-8]
  • Rep. Patrick Kennedy [D, RI-1]
  • Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick [D, MI-13]
  • Rep. Barbara Lee [D, CA-9]
  • Rep. James McGovern [D, MA-3]
  • Rep. George Miller [D, CA-7]
  • Rep. James Moran [D, VA-8]
  • Rep. Christopher Murphy [D, CT-5]
  • Rep. Ed Perlmutter [D, CO-7]
  • Rep. John Sarbanes [D, MD-3]
  • Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D, IL-9]
  • Rep. Joe Sestak [D, PA-7]
  • Rep. Carol Shea-Porter [D, NH-1]
  • Rep. Betty Sutton [D, OH-13]
  • Rep. Timothy Walz [D, MN-1]
  • Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D, FL-20]
  • Rep. Peter Welch [D, VT-0]
  • Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D, CA-6]
  close

Committees

• House Judiciary
• 2 more
  • House Judiciary
  • Senate Armed Services
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.5167

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
January 29, 2008		September 15, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Sep 16, 2008: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
• Sep 15, 2008: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
• Passed by voice vote in the House on Sep 15, 2008. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
• Sep 15, 2008: Considered under suspension of the rules.
• Sep 15, 2008: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5167.
• Sep 15, 2008: Mr. Scott (VA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
• Sep 15, 2008: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 110-844.
• Added to calendar on Sep 15, 2008: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 545..
• Added to calendar on Jul 30, 2008: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote..
• Jul 30, 2008: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
• Jul 28, 2008: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Discharged.
• Feb 25, 2008: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
• Jan 29, 2008: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
• Introduced on Jan 29, 2008.

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Related Issue Areas:

• Law
• Armed forces
• Congress
• Congress and foreign policy
• 21 more
• Congressional oversight
• Criminal justice
• Damages
• Defense policy
• Foreign policy
• Government liability (International law)
• International affairs
• International claims
• Iraq
• Iraq compilation
• Middle East and North Africa
• Persian Gulf War
• President and foreign policy
• Presidential powers
• Presidents
• Prisoners of war
• State-sponsored terrorism
• Terrorism
• Torture
• Victims of terrorism
• War crimes

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

December 17, 2008 Human Security Gateway - Suits Against Terrorist States by Victims ...

... summarizes the hostages’ suit against Iran and Congress’s efforts to intervene; summarizes the status of lawsuits against Iraq and Libya; and provides an overview of proposed legislation (S. 3370, HR 3346, S. 1944, HR 394, HR 5167, ...

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Source: Human Security Gateway: All Updates

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December 16, 2008 Human Security Gateway - Suits Against Terrorist States by Victims ...

... summarizes the hostages’ suit against Iran and Congress’s efforts to intervene; summarizes the status of lawsuits against Iraq and Libya; and provides an overview of proposed legislation (S. 3370, HR 3346, S. 1944, HR 394, HR 5167, ...

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Source: Human Security Gateway: All Updates

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December 03, 2008 VetVoice:: POWs' Plea

The bill is H. R. 5167 which had 38 co-sponsors with only 3 being Republican. The bill's name is: Justice for Victims of Torture and Terrorism Act. But watch a video, of which I combined two of her reports together, that will explain ...

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Source: VetVoice - Front Page

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