WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Leandra Bernstein — The House of Representatives unanimously approved the JASTA bill in a voice vote earlier in the day, while the House chamber was largely empty.
"It was my call… I just wanted to get it through, that is all I cared about," King said of the Friday afternoon vote on the bill allowing victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to bring their long-standing lawsuit against Saudi Arabia.
The US Congress customarily records each members' support or disapproval in a roll-call vote, though voice votes are not uncommon.
Obama has previously threatened to veto the bill arguing the United States could be liable to similar terrorism-related lawsuits by other countries.
JASTA clarifies existing US law and guarantees citizens can bring suit against any foreign nation that provides material support for a terrorist act on US soil or affecting US persons.
The act will also enable families of September 11 victims to bring a federal court case against the Saudi government for allegedly providing support for the September 2001 attacks. The Saudis were previously granted sovereign immunity and did not have to appear in a US court.
