Posted on 05/17/2016 12:51:15 PM PDT by RoosterRedux
The Senate on Tuesday approved legislation that would allow victims of the 9/11 terror attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, defying vocal opposition from the White House.
The upper chamber approved the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act by unanimous consent.
"This bill is very near and dear to my heart as a New Yorker because it would allow the victims of 9/11 to pursue some small measure of justice," Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. "[This is] another example of the [John] Cornyn-Schumer collaboration, which works pretty well around here."
President Obama has threatened to veto the bill. Schumer said he wouldn’t uphold a veto, and expects that most senators wouldn't, either.
"I think we easily get the two-thirds override if the president should veto," Schumer said.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he and Schumer are talking with leadership in both parties to get an "expedited" vote on the bill in the House.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest reiterated Obama's opposition to the bill on Tuesday.
“Given the concerns we have expressed, it’s difficult to imagine the president signing this legislation,” Earnest said.
The bill would allow victims of terror attacks on U.S. soil or surviving family members to bring lawsuits against nation-states for activities supporting terrorism.
Despite bipartisan support for the legislation, it hit a snag last month when Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he was blocking the legislation over concerns it would open up the U.S. to lawsuits from foreigners accusing Washington of supporting terrorism.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Disagree. We should've nuked Mecca and turned it into one big sheet of glass.
Oil fields first. Mecca second. Dearborn, Michigan third.
As long as all three are done, not sure I care about which order. ;-)
yep
“The 28 Pages” need to be released to the public, un-redacted. F’ the KSA and their threats of dumping our treasuries and opening their oil spigots (they’ll piss off the Russians more than they will hurt us with flooding the market). They have been corrupting D.C. for decades; it is time that is realized by the general public and it is time we go America First. F’ OPEC, drill here and sell it here and export like mad as well. Drill Gaia like a drunken prom queen and knock off the imports. Energy independence and let the KSA fall by their own devious creations over there; I hope ISIS has a grand ol time be-heading the thousands of princes it touts.
/rant off (except)
I fricken hate KSA, hate ‘em. Too many Americans have died because of those assholes.
This is a positive!!!
About time!
I hope this bill allows you to sue the family of the terrorist; if it is the same Bin Ladin protection bill I read a few months ago that allows you to sue a nation state rather than go after the assets (individual and shared) of terrorists and those who protect them, then by all means, veto the heck out of it Obama.
Mind you, in this strange world, we have the EU human rights commission finding that a convicted terrorist’s human rights were abused (and ordered payment to the family) due to extradition to the US. I’m sure that the lack of action to ban all SUVs from US roads is an act of terrorism and subject to financial compensation by the United States to victims across the world...
When DT becomes President perhaps they’ll pass a bill allowing our decrepit Air Force to bomb Saudi oil fields and then Tehran!
No this is not. Vietnam could sue us or any other country we’ve fought.
Good news: they’ll get twice as much as those who sued Iran.
Bad news: 2 x $0 = $0.
I agree. It will go no where anyway. Lawyers will get the money.
We can make it so they are out of their palaces and back in their tents with the camels if they want to play funny. Course, that’s kind of the problem, Osama’s arming Iran so SA is nervous.
“You don’t have to open it up to every foreigner. Just write the law such that only Americans can access US courts. And as for opening America up for its support of terrorists, there are a few people around the world right now with a damn good case.... Syrians killed by our Al Qeida we appropriated money to support. Hundreds of Mexicans murdered in fast and furious. Etc... maybe we shouldn’t support terrorists.”
The Serbs would certainly have a case.
I’m sure there are more carve-outs in this bill than a thanksgiving day turkey.
Expedient, myopic bill that says more about the idiots in Congress than the justice it pretends to serve.
The danger isn't that Saudi will sell its treasuries. They will sell, and the ESF will buy, and there won't even be a ripple on the treasury market.
Also: the US doesn't rely on SA for its oil. That isn't the danger.
The issue is that if SA divests, the petrodollar will be over. Foreigners will no longer need to hold dollars in order to buy oil.
All those dollars will flood onto the market, causing at least a 50% devaluation.
Which is why Obama is going to veto this. And why the Senate (despite their fine words) will let him. They will doubtless voice concerns about a backlash on sovereign immunity, but the petrodollar is the real reason.
Hurrah USSenate; that took courage.
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