The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue Riyadh if it is found to be legally liable for helping to support the devastating terror attacks. The move though has not gone down well with many congressional leaders, who now plan to override President’s veto in the coming days.
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The bill, called the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, was passed unanimously by the House on May 17 and by the Senate on September 9.
“I have deep sympathy for the families of the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, who have suffered grievously”, Obama wrote in his three-page veto message.
Though the concept of sovereign immunity generally shields governments from lawsuits, the bill creates an exception that allows foreign governments to be held responsible if they support a terrorist attack that kills US citizens on American soil. It would amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to make clear that US citizens can sue foreign governments for acts of terrorism, even if only a portion of the plot occurred in the United States.
Of the 19 terrorists who participated in the attack, 15 were from Saudi Arabia.
President Barack Obama has vetoed the legislation that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia.
Republican nominee Donald Trump has already tried to paint Obama and his would-be successor Hillary Clinton as weak on terrorism.
He said Friday that Clinton continues to support efforts to “hold accountable those responsible” for the attacks.
Congressional leaders have indicated they are not interested in extending this process any longer, and expect to hold override votes soon after Obama issues his anticipated veto.
The administration also claims that “American officials could now be sued in foreign courts over USA military or diplomatic actions overseas.[posing] a threat to national security”, according to WaPo.
Lawmakers can override the president’s veto with a two-thirds vote by each chamber of Congress. He has vetoed nine bills during his eight years in office, but has never been overridden. “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”. The White House had been stalling for time in hopes of changing minds on Capitol Hill.
“I must veto the bill”.
Obama now faces the very real prospect of Republican and Democratic lawmakers joining forces to override his veto for the first time in his presidency.
JASTA would be a special case abrogation of sovereign immunity, a legal premise that allows governments to do whatever they want without fear of legal repercussions from individuals.
With no recorded votes on the Bill, it is unclear exactly how many members will back the override.
The bill passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate and was met with widespread public support.
A senior Saudi prince reportedly threatened to pull billions of dollars out of U.S. assets if it becomes law, but Saudi officials now distance themselves from that claim.
Declassified documents showed USA intelligence had multiple suspicions about links between the Saudi Government and the attackers, but no link has definitively been proven.
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“That’s what’s driving the President’s decision to veto this bill – not because it’s politically convenient, it’s not”.
