Defying Congress, Trump vetoes defense bill

Defying Congress, Trump vetoes defense bill

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he has vetoed the $740-billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal 2021 – setting up what could be the first veto override of his presidency.

Gavino Garay reports.

After refusing to sign Congress's coronavirus relief bill, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday handed lawmakers another lump of coal by vetoing the annual defense spending bill - which has been signed into law every year since 1961.

With less than a month left in office, Trump is angry that some Republicans have acknowledged his loss in the November 3rd election to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump said he vetoed the defense policy bill because he objected to liability protections for social media companies unrelated to national security and did not want to rename military bases that are currently named for Confederate generals.

Democrats and Republicans appeared united in their objection to Trump's veto.

In a statement, Democratic Senator Mark Warner said, "I look forward to overriding the President's fruitless and ridiculous attempt to undermine our national security." Republican Senator Jim Inhofe also blasted Trump's move, saying, "The NDAA has become law every year for 59 years straight because it's absolutely vital to our national security and our troops.

This year must not be an exception." Both the Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic-majority House of Representatives passed the 2021 NDAA with margins larger than the two-thirds majorities needed to override a veto - and are expected to do so next week in what would be the first veto override of Trump's presidency.