US Senate passes bill allowing terror victims to sue terrorists' country

Washington: The US Senate on Tuesday adopted unanimously a proposed bill that would allow Americans to sue nation-states for terrorist attacks on US soil, despite opposition from the White House and allies such as Saudi Arabia.

Dubbed "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act", the bill sailed through the upper chamber of Congress without opposition. It now heads to the House of Representatives, which has its own version of the proposal.

“This bill is very near and dear to my heart as a New Yorker because it would allow the victims of 9/11 to pursue some small measure of justice,” said Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, according to The Hill.

“(This is an) another example of the (John) Cornyn-Schumer collaboration, which works pretty well around here.”

Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, co-sponsored the bill and apparently prevailed over his South Carolina colleague Lindsey Graham, who had put a hold on the bill last month, citing concerns it would open the US up to lawsuits by foreign governments.

Graham’s office said he dropped the hold over the recent recess, The Hill reported.