The families and friends of 9/11 victims will be given the opportunity to seek justice for the attacks as both houses of Congress voted to override the President’s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (S. 2040), also known as JASTA, with the tremendous support of both parties. The law will overturn the legal barriers that have stood between these families and the ability to bring to light foreign governments and individuals who have aided and abetted terrorists, along with other common sense measures.

     “The President is wrong to assert that under the hallowed principle of ‘reciprocity’ U.S. officials and military personnel could be subjected to lawsuits,” said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) on the floor of the House of Representatives about the President’s claimed reason for the veto. “It is worth noting that nothing precludes that now—or ever—but as an argument for a veto it simply doesn’t pass muster.” Click here to read Smith’s statement. Click here to watch Mr. Smith speak.

     Several news sources noted that it is rare that a bipartisan piece of legislation be given a veto, and even rarer when the legislation was passed with no objections in either house. This is the first veto override for President Obama, and delivers a strong show of support for the victims from Congress. After debate closed, the House overrided the President's veto 348-77. The Senate voted 97-1 to override.

     “Anyone who has read the recently declassified 28 pages of findings from the 2002 House/Senate Intelligence Committee’s Joint Inquiry—despite heavy redactions—knows that provocative evidence of Saudi complicity in 9/11 remains unexamined,” said Smith. “The 28 pages are filled with names and suspected associations with the government of Saudi Arabia.”

     Several of the 9/11 families were there to view the override: Mindy Kleinberg, Lorie Van Auken, Kathy Wisniewski, and Monica Gabrielle. They were surrounded by countless others, both in person and in spirit, who came to see the historic vote.

     “The victims of 9/11 and their grieving families deserve what JASTA empowers—a process to discover the unfettered and ugly truth that to this day remains cloaked, concealed and covered-up,” said Smith. “JASTA provides a way to hold perpetrators and enablers of these crimes against humanity to some account.”

     Smith’s support for JASTA is one of the many actions he has taken as a consistent and effective supporter of programs and benefits for those who survived 9/11 as well as the thousands of family members who lost a loved one in the attack. He helped lead on several legislative initiatives including a timely tax relief package, the creation of the Victim Compensation Fund, the creation of the 9/11 Commission, legislation to implement the recommendations of the commission and the Zadroga Act, which extended much-needed health care coverage for the brave men and women who participated in the rescue, recovery and clean-up of Ground Zero. Smith was the lead Republican in the effort to establish the independent investigation known as the 9/11 Commission and he chaired several hearings himself investigating what can and should be done to make America safer.

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