A 9/11 bill veto by President Barack Obama before a midnight Friday deadline faces an override vote that would give U.S. families an opportunity to sue Saudi Arabia over its alleged connections to the terrorist attacks.
Congress poses a real threat to the veto, according to the Washington Post, but although the bill has passed the House and Senate without any disagreement, many Democrats are holding their cards close.
If Obama doesn’t reject the bill by the deadline, it automatically become law.
Several lawmakers have voiced their concerns with the measure to the White House, the Post noted.
“Do you have any concerns about how this will affect the troops or our liability abroad?” Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) asked Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
Carter responded that if another country was to “behave reciprocally” by passing a similar law “this could be a problem for our service members.”
Despite other concerns of national security experts and the European Union’s delegation to the United States, congressional leaders strongly believe that overriding Obama’s veto would be successful, said the Post.
If Congress overrides Obama’s veto, it will be the first time that’s happened during his presidency, which is approaching its end.
“I have tremendous empathy for the victims,” said Sen. Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee, who agreed to the measure back in May. “But at the same time, I have concerns about the precedent it would set.”
Cooker was referring to the fear that other nations could retaliate by suing Americans.
Thursday, Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir spoke with Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican. Adel made known the concerns that Saudi Arabia has about the bill, said The New York Times.
“They made it very clear to us that this is a hostile act,” Graham said. “This is an odd situation. The 9/11 families are high on everyone’s list to be taken care of. But it comes at a time when Saudi Arabia believes American is not a reliable ally.”
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