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The House of Representatives voted for the defense budget with a large majority, ignoring the president’s veto.
Facing a gigantic setback: US President Donald Trump here at a military base in Afghanistan.
Photo: Tom Brenner (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump suffered a major defeat in Congress a good three weeks before the end of his term. With a majority of 322 to 87 votes, the House of Representatives decided to pass a legislative package on the defense budget, which the president had vetoed. 109 of Trump’s Republicans opposed the president in the vote, obtaining the necessary two-thirds majority. It was the first time that a chamber of Congress overruled a Trump veto.
If the Senate also passes it with a two-thirds majority, the legislative package will go into effect despite Trump’s objection. Senate approval is considered likely as the Senate and House of Representatives crafted the package together.
Many party friends don’t follow Trump
The president had vetoed, among other things, a dispute over the regulation of online platforms and the possible renaming of military bases. Although he tried to generate as much pressure as he could, a large number of his friends at the party did not follow. This is seen as a sign that the Republican Party is gradually emancipating itself from Trump.
For the past 60 years, Congress has passed the defense budget law with a large, nonpartisan majority. It seems the president won’t change that. The legislative package on the defense budget comprises more than 4,500 pages and provides a budget of around 740 billion dollars. Among other things, the law states that Trump’s planned withdrawal of US soldiers from Germany will be blocked for the time being.
Republicans want to spoil Biden’s start
In another vote, the House of Representatives decided to follow up on Trump’s request, who recently approved emergency aid. Corona Support Package from $ 600 to $ 2000 per person in need. This is less of a victory for Trump and more of a tactical move by the Democrats. Most Republicans are against the increase, not least because they don’t want to pass large sums of money that could give President-elect Joe Biden a good start in his term, which begins Jan. 20.
Are you resisting the president? Mitch McConnell, Republican Majority Leader in the Senate.
Photo: Samuel Corum (Getty Images)
The Republican-dominated Senate would have to approve the increase for it to take effect. Senators therefore find themselves in a dilemma: should they agree because Trump wants them to? Or should they reject the increase for political reasons? The latter is the variant that Mitch McConnell He preferred to be the majority leader in the Senate. Usually McConnell has the Senate under control, so it’s very possible that Republicans will oppose the president again.
In Joe Biden’s view, the Defense Ministry is currently primarily responsible for ensuring that the start of the Democratic presidency is not too easy. On Monday he made a statement at his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
Biden does not receive all relevant information
The Pentagon faces a blocking stance, he said after his team briefed him on the situation regarding the inauguration of the White House. “At the moment we do not get all the information from the outgoing government in important areas that affect national security,” he said. “In my opinion, this is nothing short of irresponsible.”
Biden said his team needs “a clear picture of how our armed forces are positioned around the world and our operations to deter our enemies.” This can be understood as a reference to the reinforcement of US troops in the Gulf region. Pentagon officials had described the relocation of the USS Georgia nuclear submarine to the Persian Gulf as part of “regional deterrence.” The ship, which can carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, passed through the Strait of Hormuz on December 21. It was accompanied by two American guided missile cruisers, each of which can fire up to 120 of those weapons at once.
The move followed a rocket attack in Baghdad’s Green Zone that hit the US embassy facilities. President Trump had announced that such attacks would not go unanswered. Most of them come from Shiite militias that are supported or controlled by Iran. According to the Pentagon, the relocation was planned longer with a view to the anniversary of the death of the general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Qassem Soleimani. He was killed by a US drone at the Baghdad airport on the night of January 3, 2020.
Transition with “extreme professionalism”
Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller defended the action. The transition is being carried out with “the utmost professionalism,” he said. Democrats see it differently. Yohannes Abraham, the head of Biden’s transition team, complained that a week before Christmas there was an “abrupt break in the already limited cooperation.” Minister Miller said it was because they had agreed to take a break during the holidays. Abraham said, however, that there was never such an agreement.
