Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday (Dec. 29) to the public that Republicans should override President Trump‘s (if any) veto of the Defense Budget Act.
While blocking approval of the Trump-backed $2,000 bailout vote bill, the top Republican in Congress, also urged his party’s colleagues to follow the House’s lead and override Trump’s veto against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Defense Authorization) Act for Fiscal Year 2021).
While on the Senate floor in Washington, D.C., McConnell said, “President Trump rightly pointed out that this year’s defense bill does not contain all of the provisions that we Republicans would like. I’m sure our fellow Democrats feel the same way. But that’s true every year. For 59 consecutive years, however, Washington has put aside the divisions among us, found common ground and passed an annual defense bill.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation again when we vote tomorrow,” he added.
Last week, Trump fulfilled his Air Force’s warnings and promises by vetoing the bill. Part of the reason was that the bill, which did not include the elimination of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The bill, which protects some tech giant companies such as Google and Facebook, carries most liability lawsuits.
Trump said, “Unfortunately, instead of including critical national security measures, the bill includes provisions that disrespect our veterans and the history of our military, and contradicts my administration’s America First principles when it comes to national security and foreign policy, and it is a ‘gift’ to China (the Chinese Communist Party) and Russia.
The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to override a presidential veto, which requires two-thirds of both the House and Senate to vote in favor.
Late Monday, the House voted 322 to 87 to override Trump’s veto. A majority of Republicans and all Democrats voted to override Trump’s veto.
The president exercised his constitutional prerogative,” said Republican Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee (HAC), before the House took the vote. Now, Madam Speaker, it’s up to us to make the decision. Our military, our nation, and even the world is watching to see what we will do and whether we can replace other differences and still unite in support of the men and women of the military and the national security services of the United States.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) offered to add: “I really hope that members of Congress understand that the president vetoed this bill because there are things that are not in the bill and will never be in the bill, things that have absolutely nothing to do with national security, things that we would never do under any circumstances.
Before the Senate chamber took part Tuesday (Dec. 29), Trump called the Republican leadership “weak and retreating” and said he opposed the part of the bill that would rename some military bases.
He said, “It’s a shameful act of cowardice for them to cave in to the tech giants. Go negotiate a better bill, or get a better leader! Senators should not approve a defense bill until it is amended!!!
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