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The United States Congress has overruled the veto (veto) that President Donald Trump used against the defense budget bill, marking the first time that US lawmakers have rejected the veto of the Republican president whose term ends in less than three weeks.
The Republican-controlled Senate held an unusual session on New Year’s Day to decide on the defense budget and rejected Trump’s veto, days after the House of Representatives similarly voted.
The bill refers to the budget of 740 billion dollars, which will finance the country’s defense policy for the new year.
Trump had opposed some of the provisions of the bill.
81 senators voted in favor of the budget against 18 objections, which allowed Trump’s veto to be overridden, as rejecting the president’s objection requires a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate.
This occurs just two days before the new Congress of the United States is sworn in.
Image posted, EPA
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump shortened their Florida vacation to return to the White House on New Year’s Eve
Trump had opposed provisions in the law that impose restrictions on the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and Europe and allow the removal of the names of military commanders from southern states who fought in the civil war in the 19th century to refuse to abolish slavery from current US military bases.
Trump also wanted to remove from the bill provisions that provide legal protections that social media companies enjoy in certain situations.
Before the debate began, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said he was determined to pass the bill.
“This is what the Senate is focused on: completing the annual defense legislation that addresses our brave men and women who volunteer to wear (military) uniforms,” he added.
“We have passed this legislation for 59 years in a row. One way or another, we will complete the 60th annual session of the National Defense Authorization Act and make it law before the conclusion of this session of Congress on Sunday,” he said.
Why was Congress forced to take this step?
Bills passed by Congress require the president’s signature to become law. On rare occasions, the president may choose to veto, or reject, legislation due to some political differences.
Legislators can circumvent a presidential veto and convert bills into laws by mobilizing two-thirds of the votes in the House and Senate in favor of the bills.
Image posted, fake images
President Trump says US military interventions, such as troop presence in Afghanistan, are costly and ineffective
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the top Democratic member of Congress said Trump’s veto was “a spectacular act of recklessness that damages our forces, endangers our security and undermines the will of a Congress. bipartisan “.
“At a time when our country was recently the target of a massive cyber attack, it is difficult for us to understand the reason behind the irresponsibility displayed by the president,” he said in a statement.
Before Wednesday’s veto, some advisers to the outgoing president warned against his rejection of the bill.
Trump vetoed eight bills, legislation his Republican colleagues in Congress subsequently refused to ratify in response to the president’s wishes.
Trump will leave office on January 20, when he is replaced by Democrat Joe Biden.
What were Trump’s objections?
Trump called the 4,500-page law, which is almost a year old, “a gift to China and Russia.”
“Unfortunately, the law does not include crucial national security measures, contains provisions that do not respect veterans and the history of our armed forces, and contradicts the efforts made by my administration to put the United States first in our security measures. national and foreign policy, “he said in a statement.
Trump also called the bill’s actions to limit the repatriation of US forces “irrational” and “unconstitutional.”
The president has yet to comment on the vote, but on Tuesday he hoped in a tweet for the law to be approved, blaming “the weak and tired Republican leadership.
