Senate to vote on overturning Trump’s veto on defense bill

The Senate will vote on President Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, the must-see annual defense policy bill, setting up a final challenge for Congress Republicans to oppose Mr. Trump in the final days of his presidency.

The Senate will vote on Friday to limit debate on the president’s veto, with 60 votes needed. The final vote is expected later Friday or Saturday, with a two-thirds vote required to overturn the veto. The bill passed in the Senate with an 84-13 “veto proof” majority earlier this month, and the House has already voted to overturn Mr. Trump’s veto.

Mr. Trump vetoed the NDAA because of a base renaming provision honoring Confederate officials and because it did not include the repeal of a social media accountability shield. Several members of Congress, including some Republicans, argued that the repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was irrelevant to national security.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tied a vote to repeal Section 230 to a bill that would increase direct payments to Americans from $ 600 to $ 2,000. McConnell has repeatedly expressed his opposition to the increase in direct payments, which is supported by Mr. Trump and some Republicans, and therefore linked it to a repeal of Section 230 knowing that the addition of an endorsement controversial would prevent its adoption.

Mr. Trump vetoed nine bills during his presidency, but none were overturned. If successful, this will be the first time that one of his vetoes will be canceled. The NDAA is a vital defense bill that has been passed every year for decades, so overturning the veto won’t necessarily be a controversial vote for Republicans.

Most Republicans in Congress are still in touch with the president, with some refusing to recognize President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Several House Republicans and at least one senator, GOP Senator Josh Hawley, are expected to challenge the election results when Congress meets to count the electoral college votes on January 6.

A few Republicans have criticized their colleagues for wanting to undermine the electoral process and challenge a duly elected president.

“Let’s be clear what’s going on here: we have a group of ambitious politicians who believe there is a quick way to tap into the president’s populist base without causing real long-term damage,” the Republican Senator wrote. Ben Sasse in a post on Facebook. Thursday. “But they are wrong – and this problem is more important than anyone’s personal ambitions. Adults do not point a loaded gun at the heart of legitimate self-reliance.”