Obama Vetoes 9/11 Bill, Setting Up Override Vote in Congress Next Week

The bill had sailed through both chambers of Congress with bi-partisan support, clearing the final hurdle just days before the 15th anniversary of the September 11 2001 attacks that killed almost 3,000 people.

If two-thirds of the lawmakers in both the Senate and House vote to override, the law would stand, the first such override since he became president in 2009, and possibly the last. But Obama, who is expected to veto the measure Friday, could see a veto overturned for the first time in his presidency.

White House officials also hope congressional leaders will leave Washington to hit the campaign trail before trying for an override, kicking a vote to the lame-duck session after the election.

President Obama made good on his threat to veto a bill allowing lawsuits against foreign sponsors of terrorism Friday, setting up what could be the most contentious veto override vote of his presidency.

“Neither the President nor Congress nor lobbyists for foreign kingdoms should be permitted to make us wait another day to pass JASTA”, she said. K9 Carts custom fits the contraptions to each animal and ships 60 to 70 of them around the world each week.

The government of Qatar said the bill “violates worldwide law, particularly the principle of sovereign equality between states”, according to Reuters. They all went on a low-calorie diet, exercised and had counseling and support. “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 government of Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally but also home nation to 15 of the 19 hijackers, has worked hard to see the bill defeated.

The White House has said Obama will veto the bill on the grounds that other countries could use the law as an excuse to sue USA diplomats, service members or companies.

Obama said the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act would hurt USA national security and harm important alliances, while shifting crucial terrorism-related issues from policy officials into the hands of the courts.

The letter also noted the law, if enacted, “will most certainly undermine our relationship with one of our most important allies, Saudi Arabia, and damage our relationship with the entire Middle East”.

In a letter of notice to the Senate, Obama said that he made the decision because the bill “would be detrimental to USA national interests”.

He brushed off the significance of Obama preparing to be rebuked by Congress in a way he’s never been before. “Missy” was picked up as a stray near Hillsboro Monday. Two were from the United Arab Emirates. He also co-sponsored the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act in the 113th Congress and has previously written to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., in support of the bill.

The Obama administration has until midnight Friday to reject the measure, or it automatically becomes law.

Buchanan noted that this legislation restores a long-established principle of American law that foreign governments are not immune from their role in aiding acts of terrorism. “My administration therefore remains resolute in its commitment to assist these families in their pursuit of justice and do whatever we can to prevent another attack in the United States”.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., indicated Thursday that there was sufficient support in the House to override Obama’s veto.

Caught in the middle: The question of whether the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA, would imperil American diplomats and military servicemembers overseas. Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, strongly objected to the bill. He said his country had warned that investor confidence in the usa would shrink if the bill became law. When Congress is not in session, the president can issue a “pocket” veto, which can’t be overriden – but that tool is no longer an option.

The Saudi government has lobbied heavily to stop the bill, the European Union has formally opposed it and Gulf States have condemned it.

Obama also raised the prospect of different USA courts reaching different conclusions about foreign defendants – and of complications in relations with US allies who may be the objects of litigation and wide-ranging discovery based on “even minimal allegations”.

Passing the bill by voice vote means there is no record of individual lawmakers’ positions on the measure.

On policy, the president makes some good points: His fears that the bill might backfire by prompting retaliation against US assets and personnel overseas are shared by such stalwart Republicans as former US Attorney General Michael Mukasey and former UN Ambassador John Bolton.