White House press secretary Josh Earnest [official profile] said Monday that US President Barack Obama [official profile] will veto [press briefing] legislation [text, PDF] that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia. The Obama administration has maintained this stance [CNN report] as the legislation progressed through Congress. While legislators are expected to attempt an override, a success would be the first one during Obama’s presidency. The bill has yet to be presented to Obama.

The US House of Representatives [official website] approved the legislation [JURIST report] Friday, which would allow US nationals to seek relief from foreign governments if that entity is believed to have had involvement with a terrorist attack taking place within the US that caused physical damage to that citizen’s person or property. The Act was approved [JURIST report] by the Senate in May. In 2012 a US District judge dismissed a motion [JURIST report] to reinstate Saudi Arabia as a defendant in a civil compensation lawsuit by victims against the perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The claim against Saudi Arabia was dismissed in 2008 by a US Appeals Court due to insufficient evidence that the Kingdom’s princes has actual knowledge that their money was going to be used in the attacks. In 2005 Judge Richard Casey dismissed [PDF text; JURIST report] Saudi Arabia, its defense minister and its ambassador to the UK as defendants in litigation stemming from the terrorist attacks, ruling that all had sovereign immunity [Cornell LII backgrounder].