House passes 9/11 bill, putting Obama in a tough spot with Saudi Arabia

The House just passed a revolutionary bill.
(Image credit: iStock)

On Friday, Congress passed a bill that could allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia over its alleged ties to the terrorist attacks. The House approved the bill with a voice vote, seconding the Senate's vote in May and sending the bill to President Obama's desk.

Obama, however, has already vowed to veto the bill. Policy experts argue the Saudis, who have repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks, would see the law as a "hostile act," thus threatening diplomatic relations with America's largest ally in the Middle East. The New York Times reported the Saudi government has already threatened to "liquidate hundreds of billions of dollars of American assets if the bill becomes law, although many experts say they believe it is an empty threat." Proponents of the bill argue it would give victims' families a necessary opportunity to seek justice.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More