In Support of National Security, DeGette Votes Against Veto Override

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), Chief Deputy Whip, today said U.S. national security interests compelled her to vote against overriding President Obama’s veto of legislation allowing lawsuits against the Saudi Arabian government over the September 11 attacks.

“This bill was meant to address an unthinkable loss, but it opens the door to further damage,” DeGette said of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). “It would erode the principle of sovereign immunity that protects U.S. officials working on behalf of our country overseas. Without that protection, which is rooted in reciprocity, we jeopardize their safety and, by extension, our country’s security.”

JASTA would create a new exception to sovereign immunity, which protects countries and their diplomats from lawsuits. The bill is meant to let families sue Saudi Arabia for alleged complicity in the 9/11 tragedy.