“That is still the plan”, Earnest said. The White House has said that Mr Obama would veto the bill.
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Earnest defended the administration’s stance against the bill saying it is not “an effective, forceful way for us to respond to terrorism”. The bill passed the Senate unanimously in May and sailed through the House on a voice vote Friday, indicating a level of support that congressional aides say should secure the two-thirds majorities in both houses needed for a veto.
In a statement, GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif al-Zayani said the law was “contrary to the foundations and principles of relations between states and the principle of sovereign immunity enjoyed by states”.
Saudi Arabia denies involvement in the terror attacks.
The head of the Saudi-dominated Gulf Cooperation Council, Abdullatif al-Zayani, said in a statement that the legislation runs against the principles of worldwide law and sets a risky precedent for foreign relations. But the US bill “will cause a legal revolution in worldwide law with major political consequences”. The US largely supports this, except for a few hand-picked exceptions, like allowing 9/11 victims to sue Iran, even though Iran had nothing to do with the attack.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he hopes Obama rethinks the veto threat.
Fifteen of the 19 men who hijacked four planes and flew them into targets in NY and Washington in 2001 were Saudi citizens, though Riyadh has always denied having any role in the attacks.
On Sunday, a group of September 11 attack victims’ relatives sent an open letter to Obama, imploring him not to “slam the door shut and abandon us” by vetoing the bill.
Proponents of JASTA argue that if Saudi Arabia played no part in the September 11 attacks, then its government has nothing to fear.
A veto – which would be the 12th of Obama’s presidency – could set the table for his first veto override.
Obama also is likely to urge congressional leaders to hold a vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the 12-nation trade accord that the administration completed a year ago.
However, it was not clear when the vote would take place.
U.S. President Barack Obama has said he will veto the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), the White House said Monday.
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The White House reiterated that the “continued operation of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay weakens our national security by draining resources, damaging our relationships with key allies and partners, and emboldening violent extremists”. The Obama administration had counted on a firewall in the House against the bill.
