White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that President Obama intends to veto a bill Congress approved without objection that would allow families of the victims of terrorist attacks to sue foreign governments. The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism bill, commonly known as JASTA, would permit courts to waive claims to foreign sovereign immunity in cases involving terrorist attacks.Among other things, JASTA would allow victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, write David Nakamura, Karoun Demirjian and Mike DeBonis in the Washington Post.
The president has opposed the bill and has continually said he will veto it. JASTA is popular, however, and Congress may have enough votes to override a presidential veto.
On the fifteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a group of September 11 victims’ family members sent an open letter to Obama,asking not to abandon them with a veto.
