If President Barack Obama the politician didn’t foresee Congress overriding his veto of the 9/11 families bill, Obama the lawyer got an early warning that the stars were not aligning his way.

Six days before the historic vote, the federal appeals court in New York authorized turnover orders to benefit sailors who survived the USS Cole bombing 16 years ago. Now that the court has rejected a rehearing request, the families can seize assets worth nearly $315 million from New York banks.