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Friday, January 1, 2021
To update
Defense budget dispute
US Congress overrides Trump’s veto for the first time
Shortly before the end of his term, the president of the United States, Trump, had to suffer a serious setback: his veto on the defense budget was overturned by the United States Congress, even in the Republican-dominated Senate. America’s withdrawal from Germany is now off the table.
For the first time during Donald Trump’s tenure, the United States Congress overturned a presidential veto. After the House of Representatives, the Senate also overruled Trump’s veto against the legislative package on the US defense budget with the necessary two-thirds majority. The massive legislative package can now go into effect despite the absence of Trump’s signature.
The president had opposed the bill due to a dispute over the regulation of online platforms and a possible renaming of military bases. Now, shortly before the end of his term on January 20, he suffered a severe defeat in Congress, where a large part of his Republicans opposed him on this issue.
81 senators voted for the legislative package (with 13 votes against) and successfully overruled Trump’s veto. The two-thirds majority required for voting in the Republican-dominated chamber was far exceeded. The legislative package on the defense budget comprises more than 4,500 pages and provides for a budget of around 740 billion dollars (611 billion euros).
Because it is politically unthinkable that the military budget will not materialize, the package in the US often also includes numerous regulations that are not directly related to the financing of the armed forces. The defense budget was approved with bipartisan support for 59 years in a row, also this year.
Withdrawal of Germany from the table for the time being
Democrats and Republicans have stipulated that Trump’s planned mass withdrawal of US soldiers from Germany will be blocked for the time being. The wording of the law states that the United States Secretary of Defense must declare in a report to Congress whether such a withdrawal would be in the national interest of the United States. At the earliest 120 days later, the number of US soldiers stationed in the Federal Republic may fall below the 34,500 limit. In addition, the law states that threats of sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 oil pipeline in the German-Russian Baltic Sea will be expanded.
Trump had vetoed the congressional decision. In support of this, he asserted in a letter to the House of Representatives that the law was contrary to the foreign policy and national security of his government. Among other things, the president criticized the fact that online platforms are not being regulated more strictly. He wanted Congress to change what is known as Section 230, which protects online platforms from being held accountable for content posted by their users. Trump called the ruling “a serious threat to national security and the integrity of the elections.” Critics, in turn, accuse Trump of only wanting revenge on Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, Trump is a thorn in the side of the renaming of several military bases following protests against racism.
Defeat not yet admitted
Trump considers it unconstitutional that the withdrawal of soldiers from Afghanistan, South Korea and Germany ordered by him is now limited by law. Under the constitution, the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he said. The decision on how many soldiers should be deployed where is therefore yours.
During his four-year tenure, Trump had vetoed congressional legislative plans eight times. In none of these cases, however, had the required two-thirds majority been achieved in the chambers of parliament to override their veto. Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives and Republicans in the Senate.
Trump lost the November 3 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump refuses to admit defeat. Biden will be sworn in on January 20. Until then, Trump remains in office with full rights.
