Obama vetoes bill that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.President Barack Obama vetoed a bill that would allow family members of victims to sue Saudi Arabia over its ties to terrorists who conducted the 9/11 attacks.
Leaders in Congress are planning to hold override votes in an effort to overturn Mr Obama’s decision. However, the White House claims that the bill could expose US diplomats and servicemen to lawsuits from foreign countries.
“Removing sovereign immunity in US courts from foreign governments that are not designated as state sponsors of terrorism, based solely on allegations that such foreign governments’ actions abroad had a connection to terrorism-related injuries on U.S. soil, threatens to undermine these longstanding principles that protect the United States, our forces, and our personnel,” the president wrote in his veto message to Congress.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that the administration has been receiving “conflicting signals from members of Congress” regarding the possibility of an override.
“The president’s not blind to the politics of this situation,” Mr Earnest told reporters on Friday, saying that vetoing legislation favoring 9/11 victims is politically inconvenient. “[President Obama is] willing to take some heat” due to the risks of national security should the legislation go into effect.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.