US Congress Overrides President Trump’s Defense Budget Veto, First For His Administration



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WASHINGTON: The US Congress has overwhelmingly reversed Donald Trump’s veto on the $ 740 billion annual defense policy bill, delivering a resounding bipartisan rebuke to the president in his final days in the White House.

The override of the congressional veto, the first of his administration, is seen as a stinging rebuke to President Trump given that the Senate, which is controlled by his Republican Party, voted 81-13 against his veto of the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA). ) 2021.

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives had voted 322-87 to override Trump’s veto.

The president had vetoed NDAA 2021, arguing that certain provisions of the bill impacted national security. He also disagreed with provisions to rename military facilities with the names of Confederate generals.

Trump, who will be succeeded by President-elect Joe Biden on January 20, responded on Twitter hours after the first override of his presidency’s veto, saying, “Our Republican Senate just missed an opportunity to get rid of Section 230, which gives unlimited power to Big Tech companies. Pathetic !!! ”

Bills passed by Congress require the president’s signature to become law. In rare cases, a president may choose to veto – or reject – legislation due to political disagreement. Legislators can override a presidential veto and enact bills by gathering two-thirds of the votes in both houses of Congress.

The 2021 NDAA of $ 740.5 billion determines the annual budget of the United States.

The legislation, which has been signed into law every year for 60 consecutive years, authorizes funding and provides critical authorities for the U.S. military to strengthen national defense and care for service members and military families. from USA

Senator Jim Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that with this vote, the Senate has sent a strong message of support to the troops as they vote to make the NDAA law for fiscal year 2021.

“This bill not only provides our service members and their families with the resources they need, it also makes our nation more secure: rejecting China and Russia, strengthening our cyber defenses and accelerating innovation in technologies. that will keep our children children safe. I am glad that the Senate has voted once again, by a wide bipartisan margin, in favor of this bill, the most important bill we do every year, for 60 years in a row, “said Inhofe.

“With today’s successful veto override vote in the Senate, Congress has prevailed despite the president’s illogical opposition to this year’s annual defense bill, and for the 60th year in a row the NDAA has been signed into law. “said Congressman Adam Smith, Speaker of the Armed Chamber. Services Committee.

In voting to override the presidential veto, Senator Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said the annual defense bill is critical to America’s national security.

“Failure to pass it would jeopardize our nation’s military readiness and national defense, cyber security, the well-being of American service members and their families, and more. The stakes are too high to risk further delays, ”he said.

Senator Ted Cruz, who voted against the measure to override Trump’s veto of the 2021 NDAA, said he had several concerns about the bill.

“As it currently stands, this bill includes a number of partisan Democratic priorities unrelated to national security and conflicts with the Constitution, such as requiring the Department of Defense to rename military bases in a blatantly political attempt to erase the history of our nation, “he said. .

“In addition, the bill significantly diminishes our ability to execute military strategies, make expeditious military decisions directly related to our national security interests, and end never-ending wars by interfering with the President’s Article II authority. This bill also does not promote much-needed reforms to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which Big Tech exploits as it works hand in hand with the Democratic Party, ”Cruz said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that passing the NDAA is a serious responsibility.

“We have passed this legislation 59 years in a row, and one way or another, we are going to complete the 60th annual NDAA and make it law before this Congress concludes on Sunday. It is a great responsibility, ”he said.

“But it’s also a great opportunity: to direct our national security priorities to reflect the resolve of the American people and the evolving threats to their security, at home and abroad. It is our opportunity to renew our commitment to research and development, so that our army of the 21st century is equipped to overcome any adversary, “said McConnell in the Senate.

“The entire United States Congress, with these overwhelming and overwhelmingly bipartisan votes, has delivered a resounding rebuke to President Trump’s reckless assault on America’s military and national security,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a statement.



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