A Democrat congressman warned Wednesday that passing the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act would open up U.S. citizens to lawsuits in other countries, potentially for actions they took as soldiers during the Iraq war.
“What would we think if Iraq enacted legislation similar to JASTA allowing their citizens to sue the United States for acts perpetrated during the Iraqi war?,” asked Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., on the House floor Wednesday. “Other nations could sue the United States and its citizens for sponsoring organizations they deem are terrorist organizations.”
The bipartisan bill allows the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia and other governments for their possible role in helping the 9/11 hijackers. It was vetoed by President Barack Obama because of his fear that it could undermine national security, since it might lead other nations to enact similar legislation to sue U.S. citizens.
Scott described a scenario where U.S. soldiers and contractors still working into Iraq could be hauled into one of the country’s courts for a judge to “assess the amount of money owed to each Iraqi citizen killed or maimed” beginning with the invasion authorized by the Bush administration. He argued that the House should sustain the president’s veto as there are “more responsible mechanisms to hold foreign actors responsible for their involvement in international terrorism without exposing the United States or our citizens throughout the world.”
Despite those arguments, the Senate voted 97-1 to override the president’s veto, and the House followed with a 348-77 vote. It was the first override of an Obama veto under Obama’s presidency.
