Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) is leading a bipartisan coalition of over 60 House members in asking the Administration to support American victims of terrorism seeking redress at the Supreme Court.

“As Members of Congress, we have a compelling interest to speak out in defense of the ATA [Anti-Terrorism Act of 1992], passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, and in support of these American victims waiting for justice,” Smith and other members wrote in the letter to the Solicitor General.

Smith and Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY) co-led a letter signed by 67 House Democrats and Republicans and sent to Solicitor General Noel Francisco on Oct. 26. The members asked the Administration to respond to the Supreme Court’s request for a brief in the case of Sokolow v. PLO.  

The case before the Court involves American victims of a suicide bombing in Jerusalem who are seeking civil redress from the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA). One of the plaintiffs resides in Smith’s New Jersey district.

A jury for the Southern District of New York ruled unanimously in the plaintiffs’ favor, that the PLO and the PA were liable for the damage inflicted. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals, however, vacated that decision, saying that the lower court did not have jurisdiction for the organizations in the claim.

The plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court, citing the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1992 (ATA) which was passed to give American victims of terrorism abroad a legal mechanism to sue the perpetrators.

The House of Representatives has filed an amicus brief in the case, saying that if the Supreme Court ruled against the plaintiffs it “effectively nullifies the ATA” and would undermine the ability of Congress to secure justice for Americans.

Smith, a leader in fighting anti-Semitism at home and abroad, and a co-chair of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism, said that “Americans traveling overseas who are victims of terror attacks need to know that they have the backing of their government.”

“We also seek to prevent future victims,” the members wrote in the letter to the Solicitor General. “The Court should grant certiorari to review the court of appeals’ deeply flawed and troubling decision, which concerns issues of exceptional importance to the Nation.” Read the full letter here.