Legislation that would allow 9/11 families to sue the Saudi government became the first veto override President Obama has faced in his presidency.
The House voted Wednesday afternoon 348 to 77 to override the president’s veto. The Senate voted 97 to 1 to override earlier in the day.
The legislation was unanimous in Congress when it initially passed, but strong objections from the White House and Pentagon eventually revealed deep schisms within the Democratic Party and GOP as many members grappled with the choice between potentially changing the future of national sovereignty and defending victims of a horrific terrorist attack.
To lobby against the bill, the White House dispatched its top officials. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters Tuesday he had spent time with Secretary John Kerry discussing the bill. The Saudi government also hired its own force of lobbyists – some former members of Congress themselves– to campaign against the legislation.
But families of 9/11 victims also had a powerful presence on Capitol Hill. They publicly campaigned with senators and met with the bill’s sponsor Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
