Obama could be headed toward a showdown with Congress over terrorism liability legislation he opposes that will likely clear the House this week.
The House in the coming days is expected to pass the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA, a Senate-passed bill that would make it easier for the families of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to sue the Saudi Arabian government, which some suspect supported the terrorists.
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The House vote comes four months after House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., signaled it might not make it to the House floor because he disapproved of the bill. GOP aides said they decided to change course after consideration of the legislation and support for it by House lawmakers.
The vote would also come just days ahead of the 15th anniversary of the attack, which falls on Sunday this year.
House lawmakers will take up the measure under special rules that require two-thirds majority for passage and GOP aides say the expect the bill to win approval, since many Democrats support it as well.
The Senate passed the bill in May by voice vote, a signal that not one senator in the chamber opposed the bill.
President Obama believes the bill would damage relations with the Saudis, who are key Middle East allies. But with wide bipartisan support and sponsorship by the the top Democrat and Republican leaders in the Senate, Obama may lose this one.
The bill was authored by Sen. Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas and Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., the number-three Democrat who is expected to become party leader in the Senate next year.
“We would easily get [the two-thirds majority] should the president veto it,” Schumer said when the Senate passed the bill.
Senate aides say the Obama administration has already tried lobbying Democrats to oppose the bill but has not switched a single vote.
The bill would clear the way for families to sue the Saudi government over its alleged role in the Sept. 11 attacks. Under current law, the country is protected under sovereign immunity, but the bill would provide an exception in cases where a government is tied to terrorist attacks that kill people on U.S. soil.
The Saudis, who maintain they played no role in the attacks, oppose the legislation. In response to the bill, they have threatened to liquidate their share of U.S. assets if it becomes law.
“With a JASTA vote now imminent in the House, we must rally supporters and urge a swift passage of this bill,” Schumer said Wednesday. “Justice for these families has been delayed and denied for far too long. There is simply no time to waste when it comes to delivering justice to the victims of horrendous terror attacks. JASTA is a long-overdue, responsible and balanced fix to a law that has extended too large a shield to foreign actors who finance and enable terrorism on a massive scale.”
