Congress Overrides Obama's Veto to Pass Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act

On September 28,2016, Congress enacted the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA),overriding a presidential veto for the first and only time during Obama's presidency. 1 The Act allows Americans to sue foreign states for playing a role in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.While JASTA was written in general terms,it was drafted specifically to allow families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for its suspected role in those attacks.2 The Act received widespread bipartisan support despite the administration's consistent stance that the Act would harm U.S.economic, diplomatic,and national security interests. ©2017 by The American Society of International Law.