Saudi Arabia threatened economic retaliation if the USA passed this bill and the Obama Administration pressured both parties not to proceed with the bill, even though families and victims from 9/11 voiced their approval for the legislation.
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The seemingly overwhelming support for the bill in both houses of Congress suggests enough support to override a presidential veto, which requires a two-thirds majority vote.
Opponents have also pointed out that the bill could strain relations with Saudi Arabia, an strong American ally in the region, and open the door for other nations to sue America for alleged role in terrorist attacks.
Families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks have been pushing for passage of the bill, as fifteen of the nineteen hijackers who perpetrated the attacks were Saudi citizens.
The White House also has cautioned that if the door is opened for USA citizens to take the Saudis to court, then a foreign country could in turn sue the United States.
“If any foreign government, if it can be shown to have supported a terrorist attack on US soil, American victims ought to have the right to sue that country”, Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees, said on the floor Friday. “Wherever you see evidence of radical Islam, that extremism can usually be traced to preachers of hate from Saudi Arabia”, he told the chamber.
“I’m pleased the House has taken this huge step forward towards justice for the families of the victims of 9/11”, Schumer said.
“We believe there needs to be more careful consideration of the potential unintended consequences of its enactment before the House considers the legislation”, the official said. If they’ve done nothing wrong, they have nothing to worry about. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Chuck Schumer, D-New York. Chuck Schuler, D-New York, a sponsor of the Senate bill.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir has denied such threats, but he warned that investor confidence would be shaken if such a measure was enacted. This news story is related to Print/149246-US-House-votes-to-allow-911-families-to-sue-Saudi-govt/ – breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. He said Riyadh had warned that investor confidence in the US would shrink if the bill became law.
But pressure to pass the legislation has intensified as the election draws closer.
In July, 28 previously classified pages of the 9/11 Commission Report on the topic of Saudi involvement were finally made public.
US lawmakers who support the legislation believe worldwide acts of terrorism should be exceptions when it comes to legal liability.
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The vote’s timing was symbolic, passing two days before the 15th anniversary of the hijacked-plane attacks on NY and Washington.
