The Senate on Friday overrode President Donald Trump's veto of major defense policy legislation, delivering a rare bipartisan rebuke to the commander in chief in his administration's waning days.
Senators voted 81 to 13 to enact the annual National Defense Authorization Act, well above the two-thirds majority needed to overturn the presidential veto. The House voted to override Trump by a wide margin on Monday.
The override is the first of Trump's term, handing the outgoing president a stinging loss in his showdown with Congress. Lawmakers in both parties banded together to defy the White House despite Republicans' wariness of crossing Trump throughout his term — and with many even supporting his efforts to contest the outcome of the election he lost.
"For 60 years in a row, the NDAA has provided necessary support for our troops and national security," Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), said in a statement after the vote. "Today’s vote sent a clear message that Congress will not allow President Trump to stand in the way of that support, and I’m relieved the critical bipartisan priorities we fought for will become law.”
Trump vetoed the defense measure, H.R. 6395 (116), last month because it didn’t include his demand to repeal legal protections for social media companies. His 11th hour demand to repeal the liability shield, known as Section 230, was largely sidestepped by lawmakers.
Trump also opposes several other major provisions in the bill that would force the renaming of military bases that honor former Confederate leaders and limit the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Europe.
Trump has also argued the bill is a gift to China, contradicting many Republican lawmakers who contend it is toughest defense legislation Congress has passed regarding Beijing in years. The bill, for instance, sets aside $2.2 billion for a new Pacific Deterrence Initiative to boost the U.S. military presence and deter China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The defense bill, which had become law for 59 consecutive years, won wide bipartisan support when Congress passed it last month.
Trump's veto was just the sixth for a defense bill in roughly four decades — and Friday's vote is the first time a veto of the legislation has been overridden.
Trump has vetoed several other bills, including measures to curtail arms sales to the Middle East and to block Pentagon funding for a border wall with Mexico. But none of the congressional override votes came close to overturning those.
Leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees warned of dire consequences if the defense bill wasn't enacted, including military pay and benefit provisions that lapsed on Dec. 31. The committee leaders notably hadn't staked out a Plan B if the bill failed.
"A lot of people contend, as I do, that every year the NDAA's the most significant vote that we have," Senate Armed Services Chair Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said on the floor ahead of the vote. "This year especially so in light of all of the disruptions and problems that we've had."
"This legislation is essential to the national security of the United States and to the welfare of the troops and families who defense us every day," added Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Armed Services Democrat.
Friday's vote came a day earlier than expected, as the bill was caught in a logjam over Democratic-led efforts to secure a vote on separate legislation to increase stimulus payments to Americans.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sought to quickly finish off the veto override this week, but the measure has dragged out after he blocked a vote on House-passed legislation to increase stimulus checks to $2,000.
Democrats had previously blocked an earlier vote on the veto override in an effort to force McConnell to vote on increased stimulus checks.
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Senate hands Trump his first veto override - POLITICO
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