Heading into the weekend that will mark the 15th anniversary of 9/11, the House of Representatives has unanimously passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). The bill passed by unanimous voice vote, as it did in the Senate back in May.

The bill allows families of victims of the 9/11 attack to sue Saudi Arabia in US courts over the attack, based on evidence that the Saudi government played a role in supporting al-Qaeda in the lead-up to the attack. President Obama repeatedly vowed to the veto the bill if it got through Congress, claiming "taxpayers" are at risk.

The risk is that, as far back as April, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was threatening to deliberately collapse the US treasury market in retaliation for the bill by selling some $750 billion in Saudi-held assets on the market. Jubeir's initial threat was followed almost immediately by a chorus of officials coming out against the bill.