Senate approves defense bill despite Trump threat
Veto-proof majority affirms 3% pay increases for soldiers
WASHINGTON— The Senate on Friday approved a wide-ranging defense policy bill, sending it to President Donald Trump, despite his threat to veto the bill because it does not clamp down on Big Tech companies he claims were biased during the election.
The 84-13 vote mirrored an earlier, overwhelming margin in the House, suggesting both chambers have enough votes to override a potential veto.
The Senate vote had been expected Thursday but was delayed after Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky objected to the measure, saying it could limit Trump’s ability to draw down U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Germany.
Congress has approved the bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, for nearly 60 straight years. The current version affirms 3% pay raises for U.S. troops and authorizes more than $740 billion in military programs and construction.
Trump has vowed to veto the bill unless lawmakers impose limits on social media companies he claims were biased against him during the election.
Trump has also said he wants Congress to strip out a provision of the bill that allows renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders.
Paul said Friday that his main point in filibustering the bill “was to point out that the president should have the prerogative to end a war, not just to start wars.”
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, hailed the bill’s passage, calling it “the most important bill we’ll do all year.”
The bill’s approval was never in doubt, although Paul’s actions cast uncertainty on the timing. Paul said Friday that “neoconservatives” such as Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., “are inconsistent in saying they want ... to give the commander-in-chief powers to begin war, but then they want to restrain and hamstring a president from ending a war. I think it’s a pretty important principle to discuss so we did hold things up for a day.”
Two amendments addressing troop deployment could create “535 commanders in chief in Congress,” Paul said, hampering the president’s ability to draw down troops. Democrats support the measure because they oppose Trump, Paul said, but the amendment would also apply to future presidents, including Presidentelect Joe Biden.
One amendment, co-sponsored by Cheney and Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, an Afghanistan veteran, would block troop withdrawals in Afghanistan unless the Pentagon submits inter-agency reports certifying the drawdowns would not jeopardize national security.
A separate provision pushed by Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and other lawmakers would limit planned troop withdrawals in Germany.
Paul singled out Cheney by name in a floor speech, saying she and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, share a neoconservative belief in “perpetual war.”
“The philosophy of these people is about war and substantiating war and making sure that it becomes and is perpetual war,” Paul said.
Cheney called Paul’s actions “inexcusable” and charged that he was risking delay of hazardous duty pay to hundreds of thousands of service members and blocking Congress from completing its greatest duty: providing for the nation’s defense.
Trump tweeted Tuesday that he will veto “the very weak” defense bill unless it repeals Section 230, a part of the communications code that shields Twitter, Facebook and other tech giants from content liability.
The White House said in a policy statement that “Section 230 facilitates the spread of disinformation online and is a serious threat to our national security and election integrity.”
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 Congress takes pride in having passed unfailingly for decades. It follows Trump’s bid over the summer to sabotage the package with a veto threat over Confederate base names.
“The administration respects the legacy of the millions of American servicemen and women who have served with honor at these military bases, and who, from these locations, have fought, bled and died for their country,” the White House statement said.
If he does veto the defense bill, Congress could cut short its Christmas recess to hold override votes.
“I think we can override the veto, if in fact he vetoes,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. “I hope he does not veto. I hope he reconsiders.”