U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Harrisonville) has voted to sustain President Barack Obama’s (D) veto of a 9-11 bill that she says couldĀ have unintended consequences involving the military’s security.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) Photo courtesy of U.S. House of Representatives

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) Photo courtesy of U.S. House of Representatives

The U.S. Congress has voted overwhelmingly to override President Obama’s veto of a bill that allows families of those killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for any role in the plot. HartzlerĀ serves on the House Armed Services Committee. She tells Missourinet her heart goes out to the families of the 9-11 attacks, but that she also shares concerns expressed by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford.

“I just really believe that when we start changing our national sovereignty laws, it really could open up other countries to taking on our military, our intelligence officers, in their countries and our diplomatic corps, and hauling them into a foreign court,” Hartzler says.

Hartzler’s district includes Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base. The vote toĀ override in the Senate was 97 to oneĀ and was 348-77 in the House. Hartzler was one of 18 Republicans who voted to sustain the president’s veto. The lone Senate vote to sustain President Obama’s veto came from Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada).

Congress will tackle a national defense spending bill when lawmakers return to Washington after November’s general elections, for a lame-duck session. Hartzler is on a committee trying to negotiate differences between the House and Senate regarding the National Defense Authorization Act.

“We want to continue the legacy of 55 years in a row passing the defense bill, which authorizes the spending for all our men and women in uniform and our national security needs,” Hartzler says.

Hartzler says Congress will also address the federal budget, after the November elections.

Hartzler spoke to Missourinet Wednesday at Columbia’s Stephens Lake Park, where she hosted the district’s Youth Leadership Summit. About 200 high school students from across the 24-county district participated.

Hartzler faces Columbia Democrat Dr. Gordon Christensen in November. Dr. Christensen was a whistleblower who testifiedĀ in the 1990s before three U.S. Congressional committeesĀ about what he describes as VA’s attempts to cover-up what he says were 11 to 40Ā murders of veterans at the Harry Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia.