President Barack Obama on Friday vetoed legislation allowing families of victims of the September 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, which could prompt Congress to overturn his decision with a rare veto override, the first of his presidency. If two-thirds majorities of each chamber vote to override the president’s veto, it will be the first time that’s happened during Obama’s almost eight years in office.
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The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) bill, passed by both the chambers of the Republican controlled Congress, would have jeopardized the long standing worldwide principles regarding sovereignty and would have made adverse impact with United States interests and nationals overseas, Obama said. The bill had sailed through both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support, clearing the final hurdle just days before the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that killed almost 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
The US President said the bill would upset longstanding global principles regarding sovereign immunity, putting in place rules that, if applied globally, could have serious implications for the country’s national interests and it can even complicate relations with its closest partners. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., in a statement.
The Washington Post writes:”Congressional leaders plan to hold override votes in the coming days and supporters of the legislation say they are confident they can succeed in overturning the president’s action”.
In a letter seen by Reuters on Friday, Republican Representative Mac Thornberry, chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, said he would oppose the override.
Justifying his decision, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Obama is much more anxious about the long-term impact of this legislation on the U.S. national security as compared to his daily interactions with members of the Congress. “At the same time, I wouldn’t want to be the one that had to make that decision”. “The families of the victims of 9/11 deserve their day in court, and justice for those families shouldn’t be thrown overboard because of diplomatic concerns”.
Previous year an inmate in U.S. custody, Zacarias Moussaoui, claimed that a Saudi prince had helped finance the attack that flew passenger planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Out of the 19 September 11 terrorists, 15 were Saudi nationals. If the Saudis are as entirely innocent as they say they are, Quinn adds, “why be afraid of an exploration of the facts?” “It will deter terrorism and hold accountable those nations that support and fund it”, the statement continued.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is at odds with Mr Obama over the legislation, saying through a spokesman she would sign the Bill if she were president.
Obama has served the longest period without a veto override of any president in more than a century. But the White House said the bill, which doesn’t refer specifically to Saudi Arabia, could backfire by opening up the USA government and its officials to lawsuits by anyone accusing the US of supporting terrorism, rightly or wrongly.
With no recorded votes on the Bill, it is unclear exactly how many members will back the override.
And while lawmakers have threatened to call a vote as early as next week, Congressional rules could delay the override until after the November 8 election, when Obama could campaign against the bill – but from outside the White House.
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Calling on the worldwide law, the the Saudi Arabian government stated that JASTA “violates global law, particularly the principle of sovereign equality between states”, Reuters reports.
