Despite prior approval by the United States Congress, President Barack Obama vetoed a bill that would allow 9/11 victims’ families to sue the Saudi Arabia government. Since the Middle Eastern nation serves as one of the America’s most powerful and influential allies in the region, the White House thought such legislation would only damage the two countries’ future relations. Too bad the Senate disagrees with the Obama administration’s stance on the matter, as it just overrode the the presidential veto for the first time since Obama took office in 2009.
According to USA Today, “even Obama’s Democratic allies on Capitol Hill voted to override his veto,” which they achieved with a whopping final vote tally of 97 to 1. Despite the high possibility such a nonpartisan maneuver would immediately turn partisan, however, most senators interviewed instead praised their unified efforts:
“In our polarized politics of today, this is pretty much close to a miraculous occurrence,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Democrats and Republicans in both cambers have agreed, he said, that the bill “gives the victims of the terrorist attack on our own soil an opportunity to seek the justice they deserve.”
And the only person to vote against the override? Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada), the minority leader and the chamber’s lone advocate for the White House’s push against the bill’s passage.
As for the House, even minority leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) promised reporters their bipartisan effort would do the same: “I’ve worked with these families for a very long time, and I think they should have their day in court.”
(Via USA Today)
