
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to reject President Barack Obama’s veto of a bill allowing relatives of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, the first veto override of Obama’s eight-year-long presidency.
The vote was 348-76, well above the two-thirds majority needed for an override. The Senate earlier opposed the veto by 97-1, so the “Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act” will become law.
The veto override is a blow to Obama, and to Saudi Arabia, one of the longest-standing U.S. allies in the Arab world.
IMAGE: Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks after the Senate voted to override U.S. President Barack Obama’s veto of a bill that would allow lawsuits against Saudi Arabia’s government over the Sept. 11 attacks, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts