The last time a president went without having a congressional override of his veto, a gallon of gas cost 32 cents, and the car you put it in cost about $2,000.
Construction was about to begin on Walt Disney World near Orlando, Fla., and the most turbulent time in American history was about to begin. And, Richard Nixon succeeded Lyndon Johnson—who pitched that shutout—as President of the United States.
It remains to be seen how President Obama will act on a congressional bill that would grant 9/11 victims and their families the right to sue the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its involvement in the terrorist attacks. According to the White House, he is preparing his veto pen—and according to Congress, they’re preparing their override vote.
As The Hill reports:
President Obama is poised to take one of the biggest gambles of his final year in office by vetoing a popular proposal empowering the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia.
Democrats put on a brave face Wednesday, insisting that Obama’s effort to sink the bipartisan bill won’t hurt their party in the elections.
But Republicans are ready to pounce, hoping to use Obama’s opposition as a campaign messaging tool portraying the president—and by extension, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and down-ballot Democrats—as siding with Middle Eastern oligarchs over the victims of the deadliest terror attack in America.
So far, Obama has vetoed 11 pieces of legislation, and none of them have been overridden. He has suggested that signing such a bill into law would result in reciprocal lawsuits against the U.S.—an argument that is likely correct in light of his “drone war” on Islamic terrorist figures and its inherent collateral damage.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the Senate will remain in session to immediately take up an override vote. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has been less committal, but said that if the Senate transmits its vote while the House is still in session, it will also take up a vote.
Congress is scheduled to take an election recess beginning next Friday.
The House and Senate individually passed the bill by acclamation vote before sending it to Obama’s desk. So, it’s not entirely clear how either chamber might vote on an override of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act—but the name alone would come with some very serious political ramifications for those who vote against the override.
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