Urging the Department of Justice to seek subrogation from the terrorists responsible for the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, with respect to claims paid under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001, and urging the President to deposit amounts belonging to such terrorists which have been blocked or confiscated by the United States in the general fund of the Treasury.

In The House Of Representatives

January 24, 2002

Mr. Rothman submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on International Relations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Urging the Department of Justice to seek subrogation from the terrorists responsible for the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, with respect to claims paid under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001, and urging the President to deposit amounts belonging to such terrorists which have been blocked or confiscated by the United States in the general fund of the Treasury.

Whereas the purpose of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 (title IV of Public Law 107-42; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note) is to provide expedited, fair, financial relief to those individuals most devastated by the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, sparing such individuals years of expensive litigation and the necessity of reliving the horrible events that occurred on September 11, 2001;

Whereas claims made under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 are not paid by the terrorists responsible for the aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001;

Whereas on December 13, 2001, the Department of Defense released a videotape found in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, that showed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden admitting to having detailed and advance knowledge of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, and to having estimated the number of people he expected to be killed as a result of the aircraft crashes;

Whereas section 409 of the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act (Public Law 107-42; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note) grants the United States the right of subrogation with respect to any claim paid by the United States under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001;

Whereas on September 23, 2001, the President signed Executive Order 13224 (66 Fed. Reg. 49079) which blocked certain property owned by individuals or organizations involved in terrorism;

Whereas more than $33,000,000 worth of assets have been blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224; and

Whereas the amendments made by section 106 of the USA PATRIOT ACT (Public Law 107-56) grant the President broad authority to confiscate the property of foreign entities that engage in hostilities against the United States: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress--

urges the Department of Justice to seek subrogation from Osama bin Laden, other members of al-Qaeda, and any other individual or organization determined to be responsible for the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, with respect to claims paid under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 (title IV of Public Law 107-42; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note); and

urges the President to liquidate the assets of those responsible for the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001, which have been blocked or confiscated by the United States, and use the amounts from the liquidation to pay claims, or reimburse the Government for claims paid, under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 (title IV of Public Law 107-42; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note).