[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1095]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   JUSTICE FOR THE FLATOW FAMILY AND A TOOL AGAINST TERRORIST ATTACKS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, today was a momentous day for many of us who 
have worked for over a year to accomplish what I guess I would describe 
as a very, very important and worthwhile goal.
  On April 9, 1995, a young lady by the name of Alicia Flatow was the 
victim of a terrorist attack as a college student while riding in a bus 
in the Gaza strip. Soon after the terrorist attack, the Islamic Jihad 
claimed responsibility.
  Then about a year and a half ago, Alicia's father, who was a resident 
of New Jersey, Steven Flatow, came to visit me in my office with his 
attorney, Steve Perles, from Washington, DC. It seems that they had 
filed suit against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the part they 
played in this terrorist attack, and for allegedly supporting the 
terrorist attack.
  I was informed by Mr. Flatow and his attorney that in filing and 
successfully pursuing such a court case, that momentous expenses are 
incurred, and at the most, under then current law, under then law, that 
law that existed at that time, a year and a half ago, the most that 
could be recovered would be something slightly over $1 million, and 
that in order to pursue a proper remedy, that Federal law would have to 
be changed to permit recovery for punitive damages.
  I went to see the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Henry Hyde], explained 
the situation to him, and he agreed that if the chairman of the 
Committee on International Relations also agreed, that we would make 
the appropriate change in the law. We did, and in the Senate, Senator 
Lautenberg lent his hand, and the change in the law was made.
  Today, at a little after 10 o'clock this morning, Federal District 
Judge Royce Lambeth issued the statement in which was embodied his 
decision. The State of Iran this morning was entered against a judgment 
for $247 million for the part they played in the killing of young 
Alicia Flatow. This is justice for the Flatow family. It sadly does 
little to remedy the damage that was done to the young lady, but it is 
some form of justice to the family.
  But just as importantly, perhaps more importantly, we have 
established through law and through now judicial process that there is 
yet another tool that the citizens of the United States of America have 
available to use against terrorist attacks like the one that occurred 
on April 9, 1995, in the Gaza strip.
  I hope that the message goes out loud and clear to terrorists around 
the world, wherever they may be, and would-be terrorists, and, 
importantly, very importantly, today's governments around the world 
that are known to be supporters of terrorism, that the United States 
and the citizens of the United States and the Congress of United States 
and the court system in the United States, that none of us are going to 
rest easy until every act of terrorism is stopped.
  Today was a good day in our fight against terrorism, but we must be 
determined to carry this battle further in the days ahead. So today I 
thank all of those who were involved in this process. I thank the 
gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Henry Hyde] for the part he played, the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Ben Gilman] for the part he played, and 
the court system and Judge Royce Lambeth for the part he played.

                          ____________________