A member of President Obama’s own party is calling on him to allow families of those killed on Sept. 11, 2001 to have their day in court.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., spoke outside the Capitol on Tuesday, flanked by families who lost a loved one in the terrorist attacks. The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which the president has promised to veto, would close a loophole Congress never intended to create.
“I respect him and his office and his reasons for opposing this measure, but I disagree strongly,” Blumenthal said.
The bill would allow Americans to sue foreign countries if that country supports terrorists that carry out an attack in the U.S. In this case, families of those killed on 9/11 would be able to sue Saudi Arabia for its alleged support of the terrorists who flew the four planes that crashed 15 years ago.
The White House said it will veto the measure because of concerns that the U.S. could face similar lawsuits if this precedent is established.
But Blumenthal emphasized that the bill is carefully and narrowly worded and said the U.S. has nothing to worry about because it does not support terrorists.
He also said that, if Obama does go through with the promised veto, Congress has “well more than the necessary votes” to over ride it. The bill passed both the House and Senate by unanimous consent.
Terry Strada, the national chair of 9/11 Families and Survivors United for Justice Against Terrorism, said she is “frustrated, angry and tired” with mistaken assertions people draw about what the bill does and doesn’t do, and said the president’s rationale for a veto is “100 percent wrong.”
“This issue about the possibility of threats of reciprocal laws and lawsuits is a knee-jerk reaction raised by all novices looking at the bill until they actually read the text and consider the policies,” Strada said. “Then, only those who would favor Saudi interests seem to cling to the mistruths.”
Strada’s daughter, Kaitlyn, was just 4 years old when her father was killed and said her pursuit of justice for his death has been guided by the lesson he taught her to always do the right thing.
“My father will never see me graduate college or walk me down the aisle one day,” the younger Strada said. “I am now 15 years old and in that span, I have learned much about accountability and doing the right thing. So I am imploring Congress to override the president’s impending veto and help my family and all the 9/11 families and survivors seek the justice we deserve.
“Please listen to my dad’s valuable lesson and do the right thing,” she said.
