President Obama on Friday vetoed a widely supported bill that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia – setting up a showdown with Congress where lawmakers on both sides of the aisle aim to override the president’s decision. Obama, vetoing the legislation just hours before it was set to become law, cited the potential for the bipartisan bill to backfire against the U.S., its diplomats and military personnel. The legislation gives victims' families the right to sue in U.S. court for any role that elements of the Saudi government may have played in the 2001 attacks. Families of the victims spent years lobbying lawmakers for the right to sue the kingdom in U.S. court. It remains unclear whether the White House has peeled off enough votes to avert a veto override, which would be a major defeat for the president.

Source: Fox News September 23, 2016 20:33 UTC