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9/11 bill: US Senate blocks Barack Obama's veto on law that would allow families to sue Saudi Arabia 9/11 bill: US Senate blocks Barack Obama's veto on law that would allow families to sue Saudi Arabia
(35 minutes later)
The US Senate has voted to override President Barack Obama's veto of a bill that would allow families of 9/11 victims file a lawsuit seeking damages from the Saudi government for the attacks.  The US Senate has voted to override President Barack Obama's veto of a bill that would allow families of 9/11 victims sue for damages from the Saudi government for the attacks. 
More follows...  In an overwhelming 97-1 vote, Congress is now a step closer to fully overruling the President's veto. If the House vote is successful later Wednesday afternoon, it will mark the first time Congress has successfully overruled a veto during Mr Obama's two terms. 
"Overriding a presidential veto is something we don't take lightly, but it was important in this case that the families of the victims of 9/11 be allowed to pursue justice, even if that pursuit causes some diplomatic discomforts," said Democratic New York Sen Charles E Shumer, who co-authoried the bill with Republican Texas Sen John Cornyn.
Minority leader Harry Reid was the sole dissenter in the vote. 
Mr Obama vetoed the bill on Friday, citing concerns that the bill could open up US officials to foreign lawsuits.
"Removing sovereign immunity in US courts from foreign governments that are not designated as state sponsors of terrorism, based solely on allegations that such foreign governments' actions abroad had a connection to terrorism-related injuries on US soil, threatens to undermine these longstanding principles that protect the United States, our forces, and our personnel," Mr Obama wrote in his veto message to Congress. 
Both the Senate and the House passed the bill unanimously in May.