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Donald Trump vetoes defence bill that also slams Chinese aggression along India’s border
The US president’s position sets up a confrontation with US congress that he is set to lose. The bill was passed with enough votes in both chambers to override Trump’s veto; it requires the support of two-thirds of the members
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed a $740 billion defence policy bill that also expresses concern over Chinese aggression on the border with India.
Trump vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act, saying it failed to repeal a law — Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act — that protects social media platforms from liability for content published by them; provides for renaming military installations named after confederate figures against his administration’s policy; and prevents him from moving troops from Germany and South Korea, among other things.
Trump said in a note announcing his veto, “The Act fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military’s history, and contradicts efforts by my administration to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions. It is a ‘gift’ to China and Russia.”
Trump had threatened to veto the bill before it landed on his desk.
His position sets up a confrontation with US congress that he is expected to lose. The bill had been passed with enough votes in both chambers to override Trump’s veto; it requires the support of two-thirds of the members.
Both Republicans, who control the Senate, and Democrats, who dominate the House of Representatives, are determined to see the legislation go through despite Trump’s objection to it.
The House is scheduled to hold its override vote on Monday and the Senate is set to follow on Tuesday.
The legislation includes, with bipartisan and bicameral support, a section that seeks to convey congress’s “significant concern” with Chinese aggression along the northern border with India and calls upon Beijing to de-escalate tensions by working through existing diplomatic channels.
The US president, however, has not cited this particular section among the grievances that he has aired while announcing the bill’s veto.
