Story highlights House bill would let victims of the 9/11 attacks sue the Saudi government

The White House has said it will veto the bill over concerns about diplomatic relations

Washington (CNN) Defying a veto threat from the Obama administration, the House of Representatives Friday passed by voice vote a bill that would allow terror victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001 to sue Saudi Arabia.

The Senate passed the measure by voice vote in May, but the administration has argued it would complicate diplomatic relations with a key ally in the region and warned against moving it forward.

The vote to send the bill to the President comes two days before the 15th anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans.

House Speaker Paul Ryan was pressed about the pushback from some in the diplomatic and legal community about the precedent it would set, but said, "this bill passed overwhelmingly in the US Senate so I think that those concerns have been taken under consideration and members are acting accordingly and that's why this bill will pass."

The White House had no comment on the House's action Friday.

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