House Approves Defense Policy Bill With A Veto-Proof Margin
The 335-78 vote in favor of the
Trump tweeted Tuesday that he will veto "the very weak National Defense Authorization Act,'' or NDAA, unless it repeals so-called Section 230, a part of the communications code that shields Twitter, Facebook and other tech giants from content liability. Trump also wants
Congressional leaders vowed to move ahead on the hugely popular bill — which affirms automatic 3% pay raises for
The final vote represented approval from more than 80% of the House — well above the two-thirds support required to override a potential veto. A total of 140
Wyoming Rep.
If Trump vetoes the bill, "we will come back to vote to override,” said
But with Trump pressuring
“We stand with the president,'' said Rep.
Smith and other lawmakers noted that many defense programs can only go into effect if the bill is approved, including military construction. The measure guides Pentagon policy and cements decisions about troop levels, new weapons systems and military readiness, military personnel policy and other military goals.
Troops should not be “punished” because politicians failed to enact needed legislation to ensure their pay, said Rep.
The dispute over social media content — a battle cry of conservatives who say the social media giants treat them unfairly — interjects an unrelated but complicated issue into a bill that
Measures approved by the
Smith and Thornberry said in a joint statement last week that lawmakers had "toiled through almost 2,200 provisions to reach compromise on important issues affecting our national security and our military.”
For 59 straight years, they added, the NDAA has passed because lawmakers and presidents agreed to set aside their own preferences “and put the needs of our military personnel and America’s security first. The time has come to do that again.”
The powerful Republican chairman of the
“I agree with his sentiments — we ought to do away with 230,” Inhofe told reporters. “But you can’t do it in this bill.”
Trump’s veto threat in the final months of his administration is his latest attempt to bend the norms. From redirecting money intended for military bases to build the border wall with
If he does veto the defense bill,
“I think we can override the veto, if in fact he vetoes,'' House Majority Leader
“Twitter has become a publisher, choosing to fact-check content,” she said. “And when you’re a publisher, there are certain responsibilities with that and you should not be immune from liability.”
Past presidents have certainly threatened to veto defense bills, which set annual policy with troop levels, equipment priorities, pay raises and other matters.
The defense bill is typically a widely bipartisan measure, one of the few areas of common ground. Over the summer, the
Trump’s allies on
Some
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