Wednesday, September 28, 2016

New York Times: "Remarkable rebuke to the president"


WASHINGTON — Congress on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to override a veto by President Obama for the first time, passing into law a bill that would allow the families of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for any role in the plot.

Democrats in large numbers joined with Republicans to deliver a remarkable rebuke to the president. The 97-to-1 vote in the Senate and the 348-to-77 vote in the House displayed the enduring power of the Sept. 11 families in Washington and the diminishing influence here of the Saudi government. ...

Only one senator, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, sided with the president. 

Eighteen House Republicans couldn't find it in themselves to override the president's veto (roll call here):

Benishek
Buck
Chaffetz
Conaway
DesJarlais
Grothman
Hartzler
Issa
Jolly
King (IA)
Kline
Nunes
Ribble
Sessions
Stewart
Thornberry
Turner
Young (AK)