President Donald Trump on Wednesday followed through on a threat to veto the annual defense spending bill, calling it a “’gift’ to China and Russia.”
In a release obtained by Newsy, Trump said the National Defense Authorization Act “(failed) to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military’s history, and contradicts efforts by my Administration to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions.”
NEW: Pres. Trump has officially VETOED the National Defense Authorization Bill, which has been signed into law without fail for 59 years.
— Nathaniel Reed (@ReedReports) December 23, 2020
Congress will come back next week to attempt to override the veto, starting with the House on Dec 28th, then the Senate on Dec. 29th. @Newsy pic.twitter.com/j8Io3UV51Y
The bill affirms 3% pay raises for U.S. troops and authorizes more than $740 billion in military programs and construction. The bill passed in both the House and the Senate with margins large enough to override a veto from the president.
The House and the Senate are expected to vote next week to override the president’s decision.
The bipartisan defense bill passed by veto proof majorities in both houses of Congress. The House is expected to vote to override President Trump's veto next Monday.
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) December 23, 2020
In tweets posted earlier this month, the president threatened to veto the NDAA because it failed to address liability protection for social media companies known as Section 230.
>> Related: What is Section 230, why does Trump want it gone, what happens if it is repealed?
“(I)f the very dangerous & unfair Section 230 is not completely terminated as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), I will be forced to unequivocally VETO the Bill when sent to the very beautiful Resolute desk,” he wrote in a Dec. 1 tweet.
.....Therefore, if the very dangerous & unfair Section 230 is not completely terminated as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), I will be forced to unequivocally VETO the Bill when sent to the very beautiful Resolute desk. Take back America NOW. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2020
The president has also called for stripping language from the bill which allows for the renaming of military bases named for Confederate leaders.
>> Related: Pentagon effectively bans Confederate flags from military bases
Trump had vetoed eight bills previously, but those vetoes were sustained because supporters did not gain the two-thirds vote needed in each chamber for the bill to become law without Trump’s signature.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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