WASHINGTON — Congress moved quickly Wednesday to override President Barack Obama's veto of a measure allowing victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia -- handing Obama the first such rebuke of his presidency.
As expected, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to override the veto, with only Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid siding with the administration. The House followed hours later, voting 348-77 to reject the veto and turn the measure into law.
A White House spokesman described the earlier vote as "the single most embarrassing thing the United States Senate has done" in more than three decades.
Though support for the measure was both overwhelming and bipartisan, the decision split Maryland's congressional delegation. Three members -- Rep. Elijah E. Cummings of Baltimore, Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of Baltimore County and Rep. Donna F. Edwards of Prince George's County -- all voted to sustain Obama's veto.
"I am concerned that the benefits of this bill would be overwhelmed by its potential risks to America's foreign interests," Cummings said in a statement. "The families of Americans lost on 9/11 deserve justice, which is why I am hopeful that Congress will continue to review this issue and fine tune this legislation to balance the foreign and domestic interests of the American people."
Ruppersberger agreed and said he hopes Congress will return to the issue. He noted that military and intelligence officials said they believe the measure will set a "dangerous precedent."
"The 9-11 victims and their families deserve relief, but the benefits of this bill could unfortunately endanger more American lives," he said in a statement.