Visitors touch the names inscribed at the South Pool of the 9/11 Memorial at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York. | AP Photo House plans to vote to allow 9/11 lawsuits against Saudi Arabia

The House will vote this week on a controversial bill allowing the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia in U.S. courts, a Republican leadership source said Wednesday.

The legislation, approved unanimously by the Senate in May, is expected to clear the House on Friday, just two days before 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.


President Barack Obama is likely to veto the measure, known as the "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act," or JASTA.

A potential veto override would not occur until an expected lame-duck session after Election Day.

Opponents of the measure say foreign governments view the legislation as an effort to undermine their sovereignty immunity, and they add it could seriously damage the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia. White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters in April that "it's difficult to imagine a scenario in which the president would sign the bill as it's currently drafted."

"We understand and sympathize with the motivation behind the JASTA legislation," a White House official said. "The proposed remedy, however, would enact broad changes in long-standing international law regarding sovereign immunity that, if applied globally, could have serious implications for U.S. interests. We believe there needs to be more careful consideration of the potential unintended consequences of its enactment before the House considers the legislation."

Saudi Arabia has mounted a public and private lobbying effort to derail the bill, but has fallen short.

The move by House Republicans comes as supporters of the bill, including families of 9/11 victims, this week ramped up pressure on leaders to advance the bill. The Saudi government, which has a large number of American lobbyists on its payroll, has mounted an aggressive campaign to defeat the legislation.

Supporters, however, say they want closure from the attacks and were planning Capitol Hill office visits to make their case.