Senate OKs bill letting families of 9/11 victims sue Saudi Arabia, despite threats

Published May 17, 2016 FoxNews.com

The Senate on Tuesday approved legislation allowing families of Sept. 11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia, defying White House resistance as well as brazen threats of economic retaliation from Riyadh.

By voice vote, senators approved the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. The bipartisan sponsors of the bill, Sens. Charles E. Schumer, R-N.Y., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, are now calling on the House to follow suit.

The bill sailed through the Senate despite threats from Saudi Arabia’s government to pull billions of dollars from the U.S. economy if the plan is enacted.

The legislation gives victims' families the right to sue the government of Saudi Arabia in U.S. court for any role that elements of the Saudi government may have played in the attacks.

While the bill is a bipartisan measure, the Obama administration has threatened to veto the legislation. It said the bill could expose Americans overseas to legal risks.

Many Senate Democrats backed the bill, including Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, putting them at odds with the White House.

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