Congress voted overwhelmingly to override President Obama’s veto of legislation that would allow 9/11 victims' families to sue the Saudi Arabian government over its alleged support for the terrorists who carried out the attacks this Wednesday, the Washington Post reports.
The votes in the House and Senate were a sweeping rejection of Obama's veto, with the former tallying 348 to 77 and the latter 97. This serves as the first time during the Obama administration that Congress has voted to override a veto.
The argument made against the legislation's passing by the White House was that it poses a national security threat, because it could expose United States officials to similar lawsuits abroad. However, Congress still wants it passed.
"Overriding a presidential veto is something we don't take lightly, but it was important in this case that the families of the victims of 9/11 be allowed to pursue justice, even if that pursuit causes some diplomatic discomforts," Senator Charles E. Schumer, who co-authored the bill with Senator John Cornyn, said in a statement.
Initially, both the House and Senate has passed the 9/11 legislation without any problems earlier this year. But now, several lawmakers have also voiced concern about the bill, saying that could lead to other nations suing American diplomats, military personnel and other officials in foreign courts. So, for example — America's use of drone strikes. By enacting this bill this could very well result in the federal government facing lawsuits from those that have been victims of such strikes, or other American military activities.
"Ultimately these senators are going to have to answer their own conscience and their constituents as they account for their actions today," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. Earnest also called the vote "the single most embarrassing thing the United States Senate has done possibly since 1983," when Congress overwhelmingly voted to override President Reagan's veto of an Oregon land transfer bill.
It'll be interesting to see what the 9/11 legislation passing will do in regards to America's foreign relations with not only Saudi Arabia, but other nations too.
