Too bad it’s on a bill that will hurt U.S. interests.
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, right, and Sen. Charles Schumer, talk with reporters in the Capitol after the Senate voted to override President Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) on Sept. 28. ENLARGE
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, right, and Sen. Charles Schumer, talk with reporters in the Capitol after the Senate voted to override President Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) on Sept. 28. Photo: Congressional Quarterly/Newscom/Zuma Press
Sept. 28, 2016 7:28 p.m. ET
29 COMMENTS
Wouldn’t you know that Congress finally challenges President Obama on foreign policy, and it’s in a bad cause that will harm U.S. interests. Too bad the President did so little to stop it.
On Wednesday the Senate (97-1) and House (348-77) overrode Mr. Obama’s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (Jasta) that will let victims of terrorism sue foreign governments linked to such attacks. Mr. Obama’s veto message rightly noted that this break from the diplomatic principle of sovereign immunity will take “consequential decisions” about terrorism from Presidents and hand them to courts and private litigants.
The law is supposed to help the families of those killed on 9/11 to pursue Saudi Arabia, the ultimate deep-pocket target. Never mind that there is no hard proof the Saudi government was complicit in those attacks. Or that Americans can already sue nations that are officially designated as state sponsors of terror.
This bill has no such limit, so all it takes is a trial lawyer to persuade a judge that a foreign government is liable and we’re off to the races. Lawyers will have endless fun subpoenaing documents and testimony from the U.S. and foreign governments that will complicate American diplomacy and security.
Supporters of the bill rejected any compromise, including language that would limit lawsuits to 9/11 victims, which shows that the real game is to enrich the trial bar. The Saudis may now move to liquidate at least some of their U.S. holdings so they don’t become hostage to lawsuits, and some countries might retaliate against U.S. officials.
The blame is bipartisan. Democrats want another income stream for their trial-lawyer campaign funders, while Republicans stampeded because no one wants to be seen as defending Saudi Arabia in an election year. We hope Republicans appreciate their hapless cynicism. They get the votes to override Mr. Obama for the first time, and it’s on a bill that could help make New York Democrat Chuck Schumer Senate Majority Leader.
These are the same dime-store Metternichs who denounce Donald Trump for being reckless, though Mr. Trump also endorsed the veto override. So did Hillary Clinton, who as a former Secretary of State knows better.
The current Commander in Chief didn’t do much to help. While he vetoed the measure in the end, he did almost nothing along the way to rally opposition. Harry Reid was the only Senate Democrat to support the veto, and he’s not running for re-election. Mr. Obama expected the same Republicans he routinely portrays as evil to rescue him even as Mr. Schumer was waiting to ambush any Republicans who supported the Democratic President.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest called the Senate vote “the single most embarrassing thing” it has done in decades and said it was “an abdication of their basic responsibilities.” But not nearly as embarrassing as the junior-varsity effort by his boss, who made it easy for Congress to trample him.
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, right, and Sen. Charles Schumer, talk with reporters in the Capitol after the Senate voted to override President Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) on Sept. 28. ENLARGE
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, right, and Sen. Charles Schumer, talk with reporters in the Capitol after the Senate voted to override President Obama's veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) on Sept. 28. Photo: Congressional Quarterly/Newscom/Zuma Press
Sept. 28, 2016 7:28 p.m. ET
29 COMMENTS
Wouldn’t you know that Congress finally challenges President Obama on foreign policy, and it’s in a bad cause that will harm U.S. interests. Too bad the President did so little to stop it.
On Wednesday the Senate (97-1) and House (348-77) overrode Mr. Obama’s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (Jasta) that will let victims of terrorism sue foreign governments linked to such attacks. Mr. Obama’s veto message rightly noted that this break from the diplomatic principle of sovereign immunity will take “consequential decisions” about terrorism from Presidents and hand them to courts and private litigants.
The law is supposed to help the families of those killed on 9/11 to pursue Saudi Arabia, the ultimate deep-pocket target. Never mind that there is no hard proof the Saudi government was complicit in those attacks. Or that Americans can already sue nations that are officially designated as state sponsors of terror.
This bill has no such limit, so all it takes is a trial lawyer to persuade a judge that a foreign government is liable and we’re off to the races. Lawyers will have endless fun subpoenaing documents and testimony from the U.S. and foreign governments that will complicate American diplomacy and security.
Supporters of the bill rejected any compromise, including language that would limit lawsuits to 9/11 victims, which shows that the real game is to enrich the trial bar. The Saudis may now move to liquidate at least some of their U.S. holdings so they don’t become hostage to lawsuits, and some countries might retaliate against U.S. officials.
The blame is bipartisan. Democrats want another income stream for their trial-lawyer campaign funders, while Republicans stampeded because no one wants to be seen as defending Saudi Arabia in an election year. We hope Republicans appreciate their hapless cynicism. They get the votes to override Mr. Obama for the first time, and it’s on a bill that could help make New York Democrat Chuck Schumer Senate Majority Leader.
These are the same dime-store Metternichs who denounce Donald Trump for being reckless, though Mr. Trump also endorsed the veto override. So did Hillary Clinton, who as a former Secretary of State knows better.
The current Commander in Chief didn’t do much to help. While he vetoed the measure in the end, he did almost nothing along the way to rally opposition. Harry Reid was the only Senate Democrat to support the veto, and he’s not running for re-election. Mr. Obama expected the same Republicans he routinely portrays as evil to rescue him even as Mr. Schumer was waiting to ambush any Republicans who supported the Democratic President.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest called the Senate vote “the single most embarrassing thing” it has done in decades and said it was “an abdication of their basic responsibilities.” But not nearly as embarrassing as the junior-varsity effort by his boss, who made it easy for Congress to trample him.
