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Trump threatened to veto the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress, but again acted, leaving MPs “as if sitting on fire.”
The draft National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2021 was approved by both houses of Congress with an overwhelming number of votes, before being presented to President Donald Trump for approval on December 11.
The NDAA, a law worth up to $ 740 billion, helps shape the policy of the United States Department of Defense and the law is considered “must pass” in this country for the past 60 years. The law decides everything from raising the salaries of soldiers to the number of planes to be purchased or how to respond to rivals like Russia and China.
However, since the beginning of the month, Trump has threatened to veto the NDAA if it does not invalidate Article 230, a provision of the United States Communications Standards Act that helps social media companies, such as Facebook or Twitter, escape. . of lawsuits for content posted by users. According to Trump and some Republicans, Article 230 gives Internet companies too many legal protections, allowing them to avoid being held accountable for their actions.
However, both the House and Senate have ignored Trump’s threat, passing the law with more than two-thirds of the votes in favor without a provision to nullify Article 230, arguing that it is outside the jurisdiction of the Bicameral Military Commission. The drastic measure by the United States Congress puts Trump in front of three options: sign the law, veto it or do nothing and it will automatically become law.
Trump has 10 days from receiving the bill, except for two Sundays, to make a decision. A senior White House official said the veto “could be issued a little earlier” than the Dec. 23 deadline, but Trump has yet to make any clear moves.
US President Donald Trump speaks at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House on December 8. Image: AFP.
What many members of both parties in Congress fear is that Trump will “buy time” until the last minute, when lawmakers have left Washington for the Christmas and New Year holidays. “It looks like what he’s doing is waiting until December 23. That’s just my theory,” said Senate Military Commission Chairman Jim Inhofe.
If this happens, the leaders of the bicameral parliament will face unprecedented circumstances, when they will have to summon deputies, senators back to Washington a few days before Christmas and New Years to advance. a voting session to “dominate” Trump’s veto, making the NDAA official law.
The leaders of the US House of Representatives are discussing the recall of congressmen beginning December 28, but will not finalize the final plan until Trump formally vetoes the NDAA. Meanwhile, the US Senate is likely to hold a “proxy” vote on Trump on January 3, just hours before the end of the term, the new Congress will be sworn in.
Initially, the House of Representatives discussed Trump’s “proxy” vote on January 2, just one day before the scheduled date for MPs to return to parliament. However, some House aides warned that even if they managed to “beat” Trump’s veto order that day, the Senate would still not have enough time to vote the next morning, if there was a senior. Parliamentarians seek to disrupt this process.
According to an aide, the House of Representatives may need to vote against Trump’s veto and go to the Senate by Dec. 29, to ensure the process “can overcome any procedural barriers.” .
In the event of a failure, they can return the law to the new parliament for a vote that beats Trump’s veto to quickly pass the bill. However, this scenario is considered an embarrassment to the old parliament, as the NDAA has been passed every year for almost six decades.
A senior White House official said advisers had advised Trump not to veto the bill to avoid unusual situations, but did not specify who it was to discourage and whether the president would listen. Senator Inhofe, Trump’s main ally, also tried to convince him during his phone call last week, but the two have not spoken since.
If Trump persists in vetoing the law, the fact that Congress waits until January 3 to vote beyond his power could cause some problems in the implementation of the NDAA, such as delaying bonuses or the time of soldiers. Starting point for military construction projects.
Since many key provisions expire at the end of December each year, MPs typically quickly complete approval of the NDAA before the holiday season. However, voting to formalize the NDAA on January 3 is seen by some as having essentially no effect on US military operations.
In addition, it is said that congressional leaders need some MPs to delegate to voters to get 2/3 of the votes in favor to override Trump’s veto, because dozens of MPs withdraw or lose. They will likely not reach Washington in the final days of their tenure, as the VOC spreads violently. These votes could play an important role, especially if some Republican senators decide to change their minds on Trump’s side, even though they supported the bill just days ago.
The Chairman of the House Committee of the US House of Representatives, Adam Smith, said last week that the “only option” for MPs if they cannot overcome Trump’s veto is to try to pass a similar defense law. after the president. elected Joe Biden to the job. However, he warns that this is very difficult both procedurally and politically.
Parliamentarians are also expected to find themselves in a dilemma if they fail to materialize a bill that increases soldiers’ salaries and strengthens the defense, after months of conflict with Trump because the president opposes renaming the bases. . To honor Southern Union leaders in the Civil War, the provision is also in the bill.
Trump on December 17 once again threatened to veto the NDAA on Twitter. “I will veto the defense bill, which will greatly please China. It is necessary to remove Article 230, protect national monuments and allow the withdrawal of troops from remote places,” the US president wrote. .
While both houses of the NDAA voted on the NDAA exceeding the 2/3 positive votes needed to reverse Trump’s veto, some congressmen risk changing their minds for fear of angering the president, although it takes dozens of people to change the veto. stuff.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, for example, said he would not vote against Trump’s veto, even though he supported the NDAA. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is in favor of Trump’s attempt to remove Article 230, also promised to side with the president if he vetoed the bill.
Graham, who served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced another bill to overturn Section 230, while predicting a vote on the bill “probably enough” to avoid a “battle.” veto. ”However, Republican leaders currently do not plan to vote on the bill.
Gloss (According to the Politician)
