Senate votes to overturn Trump’s veto on defense bill



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Trump’s veto forced Republicans to decide to challenge the president in favor of legislation defining the country’s defense policy. The bill, however, was originally passed by both the House and Senate with a veto-proof majority and the House voted on Monday to overturn the veto. The final vote was 81 to 13, well above the required two-thirds majority.

Trump had threatened to veto the Defense Bill, which includes salary increases for American soldiers and upgrades to equipment, because it does not include the repeal of Section 230, a law that prevents Internet companies from being responsible for what is posted on their websites by them or by third parties.

The president responded on Twitter hours after his presidency’s first veto was reversed, saying, “Our Republican Senate narrowly missed the opportunity to get rid of Section 230, which gives unlimited power to big tech companies. Pathetic !!! ” The White House did not otherwise respond to CNN’s request for comment on the cancellation of the veto.

The bill also includes provisions to limit the amount of money Trump can move for his border wall and to force the military to rename bases named after figures in Confederation.

Trump has said he opposes any efforts by the US military to rename the nearly a dozen major bases and facilities that bear the names of Confederate military commanders – and he raised this issue in his veto message in addition to his complaints regarding section 230.

“I have been clear in my opposition to politically motivated attempts like this to erase history and to dishonor the immense progress our country fought for in realizing our founding principles,” the message read.

A Senate deadlock over stimulus checks led to an extended timeline for the final waiver vote after Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Monday night he would delay a quick vote unless the majority leader in the Senate Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, brings a vote on the $ 2,000 stimulus checks upstairs. This vote never took place and the Senate voted on Friday afternoon to end the debate on the cancellation of the veto.

Some Democrats praised the bipartisan vote on Friday afternoon.

“For 60 years in a row, the NDAA has provided the necessary support to our troops and national security,” Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, member of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. “Today’s vote sent a clear message that Congress will not allow President Trump to oppose this support, and I am relieved that the critical bipartisan priorities we fought for will become law,” he said. he added.

“The entire United States Congress, with these massive and overwhelmingly bipartisan votes, has strongly rebuked President Trump’s reckless attack on US military and national security,” House of Commons Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in his own statement.

This story has been updated with an additional reaction to the vote.

Betsy Klein contributed to this story.

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