Senate to vote on vetoed 9/11 bill
Families would be able to take Saudi Arabia to court over attacks
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday will kick off Congress’ attempt to override President Barack Obama’s veto of a bill that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia, according to a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Obama on Friday vetoed the bill, allowing courts to waive claims to foreign sovereign immunity in cases involving terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, arguing it would set a dangerous precedent.
The administration lobbied heavily against the bill, arguing that if other countries act reciprocally, U.S. diplomatic, military and other officials could be sued abroad over U.S. diplomatic and military actions, such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Supporters of the bill believe they have the votes in both the Senate and House to override the veto, but it could be closer than earlier thought with some lawmakers now vocalizing misgivings about the legislation, which cleared Congress without any dissent. If the override vote is successful in the Senate, the House is expected to vote later in the week.
“We must protect the people we rely on to carry out U.S. policy,” Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the House Armed Services Committee’s top Democrat, wrote Sunday in a letter to Democrats. “Taking this policy path will end up doing the United States more harm than good.”
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, sent a similar letter Friday to Republican members, arguing “this bill increases the risk posed to American military and intelligence personnel, diplomats, and others serving in our country (and) around the world.”
Bill sponsors Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., both expressed confidence following Obama’s veto that Congress would support the override.
Saudi Arabia, argues it is being unfairly singled out and had no connection to the terrorists who carried out the attacks, has stepped up it’s lobbying efforts hiring four new firms in recent weeks.