Jan 02,2021:The United States Congress has voted to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a major defence bill, bringing to an end a tumultuous legislative session and a political showdown that pitted the US president against members of his own Republican Party.
In a rare New Year’s Day session, the Senate voted 81 to 13 to reach the two-thirds majority required to override Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act.
Democrats and Republicans joined together to support the $740bn defence bill, which sets the US’s military and strategic direction for the year ahead.
Friday’s vote was the first time US legislators overrode a Trump veto in the Republican leader’s presidency, after the Democrat-controlled US House of Representatives on December 28 also overwhelmingly voted in favour.
Trump, just weeks before he is set to leave the White House, had raised several points of opposition to the bill, saying it would restrict his ability to reduce the number of US troops in Afghanistan, South Korea and Germany.
Trump objected to language requiring the US military to rename bases named for Confederate figures in the US Civil War.
He also wanted Congress to repeal Section 230 of a US communications law that allows users to freely post content on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
Trump slams Republican leaders
On Friday afternoon, Trump hit out at the Republican-controlled Senate for overriding his veto.
“Our Republican Senate just missed the opportunity to get rid of Section 230, which gives unlimited power to Big Tech companies. Pathetic!!!” he tweeted.
But in debate before the veto override, members of Congress – including senior Republicans – dismissed Trump’s objections to the bill as misguided.
“The reasons the president has given, I don’t think are frivolous at all – but they just shouldn’t be tagged to this particular piece of legislation,” Republican Senator John Cornyn said.
Trump has been increasingly at odds with Republican leaders since Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential elections.
McConnell had promised to pass the defence bill into law “one way or another” before Congress concluded on Sunday.
