Senate Approves Defense Bill Despite Trump's Threat To Veto Over Big Tech Protections
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 strip legal protections from Big Tech companies.
The 84-13 vote mirrored an earlier, overwhelming margin in the House, suggesting that 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 withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Germany.
The bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, affirms 3 percent 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.
Trump has also said he wants Congress to remove a provision of the bill that allows for the renaming of military bases such as Fort Benning and Fort Hood that honor Confederate leaders.
Paul said Friday that his goal in filibustering the bill “was to point out that the president should have the prerogative to end a war, not just to start wars.″
Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, hailed the bill’s passage, calling it “the most important bill we’ll do all year.”
The defense authorization law “is what the Constitution tells us we have to do” in Congress, Inhofe said. ”We must protect freedom, democracy and peace, and support our troops. I look forward to it becoming law before the end of the year.”
Paul said Friday that “neoconservatives” such as Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming “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 pull troops out of Afghanistan and Germany.
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 reports certifying that the withdrawals would not jeopardize national security.
A separate provision pushed by Sen. Mitt Romney and other lawmakers would limit planned troop withdrawals in Germany.
Romney called Trump’s plan to remove thousands of U.S. troops from Germany “a grave error” and “a gift to Russia.”
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.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urged passage of the measure despite Trump’s threat to veto it.
“This NDAA will unlock more than $740 billion for the training, tools and cutting-edge equipment that our service members and civilian employees need to defend American lives and American interests,” McConnell said.
“It will give our troops the 3 percent pay raise they deserve. It’ll keep our forces ready to deter China and stand strong in the Indo-Pacific.”
The House overwhelmingly approved the defense bill on Tuesday, defying Trump’s veto threat and setting up a possible showdown with the Republican president.
A total of 140 Republicans joined 195 Democrats in backing the bill, which received support from more than 80 percent of the House — well above the two-thirds support required to override a potential veto.
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.
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. It should be repealed.”
Regarding the military bases named after Confederate leaders, the White House said: “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.”
If Trump 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,” Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said. “I hope he does not veto. I hope he reconsiders.”
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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