A JOY NAMED SUE
Veto override lets 9/11 kin go after Saudis
WASHINGTON — Congress voted overwhelmingly to override President Obama’s veto to make the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act the law of the land Wednesday, giving the families of 9/11 victims a huge victory in their quest for justice.
The law will allow survivors and families of those murdered in the Sept. 11 attacks to sue the Saudi Arabian government for its alleged involvement. It’s the first time Congress has overridden an Obama veto.
“This rare moment of bipartisanship is a testament to the strength of the 9/11 families, and the validity of their pursuit of justice. 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,” Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the bill’s leading Senate sponsor, said after his chamber passed the bill.
The bill, which originally passed both the House and Senate unanimously by voice votes and got strong bipartisan backing again on Wednesday, becomes law in spite of concerns by some in the foreign policy establishment. Some have warned about unintended consequences, such as weakening U.S. relations with key allies. The final votes: 97 to 1 in the Senate and 348 to 77 in the House.
Those who lost family members in the terror attacks expressed relief.
“It means we'll be able to hold accountable the people who helped murder 3,000 people. At the personal level, this means justice,” Terry Strada, who lost her husband in the World Trade Center attacks and heads the organization 9/11 Families & Survivors United for Justice Against Terrorism, told the Daily News. “It’ll mean a lot of hard work is finally paid off and the families will finally be able to move forward and have their day in court.”
Obama said on CNN that the override was “basically a political vote” less than two months before members face reelection. THE JUSTICE Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act is now law. But what does it actually do? The bill was narrowly tailored to clear up murky legal language and definitively give victims of terrorism legal standing to sue foreign governments if they directly fund terror attacks on U.S. soil. The law doesn’t allow for lawsuits against individuals who are in foreign governments, nor does it allow for any lawsuits for any terror attacks that occur outside of the U.S. The 9/11 families can now proceed with previous legal actions against the Saudi government, which they believe was behind the World Trade Center attacks. Next up: The families return to court to enter discovery, the pretrial step in which they can force the other side and the government to provide evidence and restart what could be a lengthy court battle.