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1st Ld: U.S. Congress votes to override Obama's veto of 9/11 lawsuit bill

Xinhua, September 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

U.S. Congress voted on Wednesday to override President Barack Obama's veto of a bill allowing the victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks to sue Saudi Arabia.

It marks the first time during Obama's nearly eight-year presidency that his veto was overridden by Congress.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 348-77 to override the veto issued by Obama last week, hours after the Senate voted 97-1 in favor of the override. The bill, named Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), now becomes law.

Following the Senate vote, White House spokesman Josh Earnest called the vote "embarrassing."

Obama vetoed the bill on Friday, citing concerns that the bill "would be detrimental to U.S. national interests." Enditem