U.S. Chamber Receives Assurance on Air Carrier Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Chamber of Commerce today praised the White House for clarifying the scope of the recently passed Airline Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act.

In a letter to U.S. Chamber President Thomas Donohue, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mitch Daniels gave assurances that "all legal claims and cases [arising out of the September 11 terrorist attacks]…against any defendant, including but not limited to air carriers – must be brought in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York."

Daniel's letter underscored that "the plain language of the provision conforms to the agreement reached by, and the intent of, the House leadership, the Senate leadership, and the Administration."

"I am pleased to know that the administration and congressional leaders agree that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is the appropriate venue for all of these legal claims and cases and not just those related to air carriers," Donohue said. "For the sake of uniformity, fairness and predictability, placing these cases in a single federal court is the best way to handle litigation stemming from the tragic events in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania."

The Daniels letter also stated that the White House welcomed specific legislative proposals that the Chamber and others might suggest to further structure and manage litigation related to the terrorist attacks. "We look forward to working with the White House and the Hill in the days and weeks ahead to find ways to ensure that all parties affected by the tragedies of September 11 can find appropriate and adequate liability relief," Donohue added.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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