Thursday, September 29, 2016
US President Barack Obama speaks at the White House in Washington, US, September 28, 2016/REUTERS
The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to reject President Barack Obama's veto of a bill allowing relatives of the victims of the September 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia, the first veto override of Obama's eight-year-long presidency.
The vote was 348-76, well above the two-thirds majority needed for an override.
The Senate earlier opposed the veto by 97-1, so the "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act" will become law.
The veto override is a blow to Obama, and to Saudi Arabia, one of the longest-standing US allies in the Arab world.