Congress rejects Obama veto of Saudi 9/11 lawsuits bill
Congress has voted to override President Barack Obama's veto of a bill that would allow
families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabian offcials.
In the first veto override of his presidency, the Senate voted 97-1 and the House of
Representatives 348-77, meaning the bill becomes law.
Mr Obama told CNN the lawmakers had made "a mistake".
The president argued the bill could expose US companies, troops and officials to potential
lawsuits abroad.
CIA Director John Brennan said the vote carried "grave implications" for national security,
adding:"The downside is potentially huge."
The House and Senate unanimously passed the legislation, known as the Justice Against Sponsors
of Terrorism, this year despite the Obama adminisration's lobbying efforts.
The bill amends a 1976 law that shields other countries from American lawsuits, allowing victims'
families the right to sue any member of the Saudi government suspected of playing a role in the
9/11 attacks.
Mr Obama argued in his veto that the bill would undermine US-Saudi relations and warned of
tit-for-tat lawsuits against US service members in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.
He told CNN on Wednesday:"It's a dangerous precedent and it's an example of why sometimes you have
to do what's hard.
"And, frankly, I wish Congress here had done what's hard.
"If you're perceived as voting against 9/11 families right before an election, not surprisingly,
that's a hard vote for people to take.
"But it would have been the right thing to do."
White House spokesman Josh earnest told reporters the vote was "the single most embarrassing thing
the United States Senate has done" in decades.
But the measure's supporters contended the legislation only applies to acts of terrorism that have
occurred on US soil.
"The White House and the executive brach are far more interested in diplomatic considerations,"
said Democratic New York Senator Chuck Schumer.
"We're more interested in the families and in justice."
Veto overrides
George W Bush vetoedd same number of bills as Mr Obama, 12, but four were overriden
Bill Clinton wielded the veto 37times and was defeated twice
Gerald Ford's veto was defeated 12 times
The last US president to avoid a veto override was Lyndon B Johnson
But hte record is Andrew Johnson, who was repelled by Congress 15 times when president in the
late 1860s
Mr Obama has issued 12 vetoes during the two terms of his presidency, but until now none have
been overridden.
Democratic Minority Leader Harry Reid was the lone 'no' vote against the bill.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's running mate, and Senator Bernie Sanders did
not vote.
Fifteen of the 19hijackers were Saudi nationals, but the oil-rich kingdom - a key US ally - has
denied any role in the attacks, which left nearly 3,000 people dead.
While US intelligence raised suspicions about some of the hijackers' connections, no link has been
proven to support claims that Saudi officials provided financial support to the suspects.