Two days after the House and Senate overwhelmingly voted to override President Barack Obama’s veto, GOP leaders are expressing reservations about legislation that would allow lawsuits related to 9/11 to go forward against Saudi Arabia.
According to The Hill, a leading political website, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan both say they were open to discussions about changing the bill, which Congress approved unanimously.
Maine Independent Sen. Angus King was among those who voted to override Obama’s veto.
“It really wasn’t that big of a departure from existing law,” King says. “We already have exceptions to the sovereign immunity principle. I felt that this was of a direct benefit to these families. They at least are going to have their day in court.”
Ryan and McConnell say they want to take a closer look at the bill to ensure that it does not encourage retribution by other countries where American service members are deployed.
But King says the bill already protects service personnel.
“The problems that the president raised, and I think they were serious ones about retaliation, were somewhat speculative and I thought were somewhat far afield,” he says. “For example, they were worried about retaliation that our service people would be subject to suit. As I read this statute that we just passed, it’s limited to the government itself — not to individuals.”
King says if Republican leaders or the president continue to have problems with the bill, he is willing to examine any proposed amendments that would improve the legislation.