McConnell vows to override Don on defense bill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed Tuesday to override President Trump’s veto of this year’s defense bill, dealing an embarrassing blow to the outgoing commander-in-chief that suggests his usually firm grip on the Republican Party is loosening.
The powerful Kentucky Republican said in a floor speech that he’s teeing up a Wednesday vote in the Senate on a House-approved resolution to rescind Trump’s veto of the $741 billion military spending bill. If successful, it will mark the first congressional veto override of Trump’s presidency.
“I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation one more time when we vote tomorrow,” McConnell said of the so-called National Defense Authorization Act, which originally passed both chambers of Congress with broad bipartisan support.
The Pentagon bill includes 3% pay raises for members of the armed forces and billions of dollars for military construction projects and other Pentagon activities.
Trump vetoed it Dec. 23 because Republicans rejected his demand for the legislation to include a provision to repeal liability protections for social-media companies like Twitter. The outgoing president is also upset that Republicans allowed the act to include an amendment mandating the renaming of U.S. military bases named for Confederate leaders.
In his floor remarks, McConnell said there are always provisions requested by both parties that do not make it into defense legislation.
“And yet for 59 consecutive years and counting, Washington has put our differences aside, found common ground and passed the annual defense bill,” he said. “Not once in six decades has a Congress let its differences prevent it from completing this work for its national security and our men and women who wear the uniform.”
Trump, who has attacked members of his own party at an increasing rate for admitting that Joe Biden won last month’s election, lashed out at McConnell before the senator announced support for the override.
“Weak and tired Republican ‘leadership’ will allow the bad Defense Bill to pass,” Trump tweeted. “A disgraceful act of cowardice and total submission by weak people to Big Tech. Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW! Senate should not approve NDAA until fixed!!!”
Trump’s push for repealing Section 230 social-media protections is unrelated to the military, and many Republicans questioned the logic of using the defense act as a vehicle for that crusade.
Two-thirds of the Senate need to support the override resolution to quash Trump’s veto. With McConnell’s blessing, that appears a near-certainty. But Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and some progressive Democrats in the upper chamber are threatening to block fast-track passage of the override resolution until McConnell allows a vote on a House-approved measure to increase the forthcoming coronavirus stimulus checks $2,000 from $600.
Sanders could hold up the override resolution until Jan. 1, which he suggested he will do unless McConnell clears the way for a vote on the stimulus-check measure.