The US Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to override Barack Obama’s veto of a bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia, the first such rebuke of his eight year presidency.
In a landmark vote, Senators 97-to-one backed the override, with only outgoing Obama ally Harry Reid voting against, teeing up a similar vote in the House of Representatives later Wednesday.
The rare act of bipartisanship is a severe blow to Obama, who lobbied hard against the bill, known as the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA).
Obama has issued 12 vetoes during his presidency, until now none have yet been revoked, a rare feat given Republicans’ long control of Congress.
The White House argued the bill would undermine the principle of sovereign immunity and open up the US itself to lawsuits.
