The Republican-led Senate approved a $740 billion major national defense bill on Friday, defying a threat to veto from President Donald Trump.
The final vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was 84-13, far greater than the two-thirds requirement to override a presidential veto.
The measure passed the House of Representatives this week in a 355-78 vote. The bill is now heading to Trump’s desk, where he will decide whether to veto in the face of bipartisan opposition.
“It does not contain every policy that either side would like to pass, but a huge number of crucial policies are included and a lot of bad ideas were kept out,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on the floor. “So I would encourage all our colleagues to vote to advance this must-pass bill.”
Trump has said he will veto the measure because the bill includes a controversial proposal to rename Confederate bases and military installations. The president also said the bill doesn’t include a repeal of Section 230, a measure that provides Big Tech companies and social media firms with a liability shield. It also does not support Trump’s efforts to draw down troops in Afghanistan and Germany.
“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 also 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.’’
On Tuesday, Trump announced he will veto the measure if it is passed.
And White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump’s opposition to the bill not including a Section 230 repeal is warranted.
“Twitter has become a publisher, choosing to fact-check content,” she said to reporters Tuesday. “And when you’re a publisher, there are certain responsibilities with that and you should not be immune from liability.”
Some lawmakers said that should Trump veto the measure, they might be able to override it.
“I think we can override the veto, if in fact he vetoes,“ House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said before the House voted on Tuesday. “I hope he does not veto, I hope he reconsiders. And I think he will get substantial pressure, advice (from Republicans) that, you know, you don’t want to put the defense bill at risk.”
Some Democrats have agreed that repealing Section 230 could be a possibility in the future, but they argued that it shouldn’t be tied to a defense-spending bill.