- The first veto override the Brack Obama presidency just 4 months before it ends.Congress on Wednesday overwhelming rejected his veto of legisiation allowing relatives of the victims of the 9/11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia. Against the veto the 348-77 the house of representatives voted, hours after the senate rejected it 97-1, meaning the “Justice against sponsors of terrorist act” will become law. The vote was blow to obama as well as Saudi Arabia, one of the standing allies of united nation in Arab region. Some law makers who supported the override plan to revisit the issue. “He thought congress had made a mistake” Obama said. Retreating his belief that legislation has set a dangerous precedent and indicating that he thought political consideration were behind the vote.
- He said on CNN “If you perceived that its hard to vote against the 9/11 people before the elections, not surprisingly, Its difficult vote for people to take, But it would have been the right thing to do. Earlier Obama 11 vetoes were sustained but this time his strongest democratic supporters in congress joined republicans are opposed him in one of their last action before leaving for the campaign for the Nov.8 election. Overriding Presidential veto is something we don’t take lightly , but it was in this case that families of 9/11 victims will allow to pursue justice even if that pursue is providing some diplomat discomforts said by senate demo crate named Charles schumer.
- Schumer represent the New York, site of the world trade centre and home to many of people nearly 3000 people killed in 2001 attacks, survivals and families of victims. The law known as JASTA passed the house and senate earlier this year without no objection. In congress eith Saudi Arabia support was fuelled impatiently. Promotion to form a several Islamic tied to militancy and failure to do more to ease the International crisis.
- The law grants an exception to the legal principle of sovereign immunity in cases of terrorism on U.S. soil, clearing the way for lawsuits seeking damages from the Saudi government. Riyadh has denied longstanding suspicions that it backed the hijackers were Saudi nationals. For the bill to the 15th anniversary of the attacks this month family members had tied their last push, demonstrating outside the White house and capitol. On Wednesday, two fire trucks displayed a giant U.S. flag outside the Senate.
Risk of Troops?
- Obama argued that JASTA could expose U.S. companies, troops and officials to lawsuits if other countries passed reciprocal legislation, and may anger important allies. He called Senate Minority Leader Harry reis and wrote a letter to him explaining that he strongly believed in enacting JASTA into law would be detrimental to U.S interests. Reid became the only senator to side with Obama.Some lawmakers said the White House, which has a history of poor relations with congress, had waited too long to fight the bill. The September 11 families have received more than $7 billion,but bill backers said their intention was to allow lawsuits to punish any government that backs terrorism on U.S. soil.
- The bill was carefully negotiated over more than six years, “Representative Jerrold Nadler, another New York Democrat, told the House. The issue however may not be finished. At least 28 senators signed a letter to JASTA’s sponsors, Schumer and Republican Senator John Cornyn, asking that they work with them to mitigate any potential unintended national security and foreign policy consequences.
- The Saudi government finance an extensive lobbying campaign against the legislation. U.S. governmen including General electric co. And dow electric co. Also opposed it as did the European union and other union allies. Secretary of Defence Ash Carter and General Joseph Dunford chairman of joint team of staff, opposed the bill the CIA director John Brenan said JASTA had “grave implication” for national security.
- Democratic senator Tim kaine, hillory Clinton vice presidential running mate and Bernie Sanders an independent and former democratic white House contender, did not vote. Override opponents in the house included representative Mac Thornberry including representative of the Armed Service committee and Adam smith its ranking demo crate citing concern about U.S. forces overseas (Additional reporting by Richard Cowan and Jonathan Landay in Washington, and Roberta ramp ton aboard air Force One; editing by Marguerita Choy, Leslie Adler and G Crosse)