Donald Trump Vetoes Massive Defense Bill, Setting Up Possible Override Vote As Soon As Next Week
As he continues his fruitless legal drive to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, President Donald Trump is leaving no stone unturned in a bid to have a lasting effect on the incoming administration. In line with this, the president vetoed a recently passed defense bill, setting up a potential veto override vote that is likely to pit members of his party against him.
The House is slated to take action on Monday, and it will be interesting to see how many Republicans deviate from the earlier support for the bill, which has been passed by both chambers of Congress. According to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a considerable number of Republicans won't vote to override the president's veto, despite previously voting for the bill.
In other words, it is unclear whether or not the attempt to revoke the veto will be successful, or if the veto will be sustained. Trump had previously threatened to reject the defense bill dubbed the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) because it did not include a reversal of Section 230, which alludes to a law that protects internet companies from being accountable for what they or others post on their websites, CNN reported.
Moreover, he objected to a provision, which could obstruct his decision to cut US troop levels in Afghanistan, Germany, and elsewhere. Trump said without changes to Section 230, the NDAA is a gift to Russia and China, Bloomberg reported.
The 2020 bill comprises provisions to put a capping on the amount of money Trump can utilize for his border wall. Aside from that, the bill includes a provision that would require the military to rename bases that derive their names from figures from the Confederacy.
Trump's stand on the bill divided GOP lawmakers, leaving them no choice between choosing loyalty to the president and legislation that sets America's defense policy. This is a choice they'd be making again.
Considering that full membership in the House is currently at 430, it will be imperative for supporters of the bill to get 288 votes to override Trump's veto. On Dec. 8, when the bill came to the floor, 38 Democrats voted against it. It remains to be seen whether or not some of these opposers decide to change their votes in a bid to overcome the veto.
The Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized Trump’s veto, describing it as an act of recklessness that causes impairment to American troops, puts the nation's security in jeopardy, and ignores the will of Congress, Hindustan Times reported. Both the House and the Senate have set aside time next week in order to vote against the veto.