By Aiyeku Timothy
The US Congress on Friday voted to overturn outgoing US President, Donald Trump’s veto of the annual defense bill which is his first veto override since he became President.
The GOP-controlled Senate voted 81 against 13 to override Trump’s veto of a mammoth defense bill, telling the story more of the depth of disagreement between the two sides of Pennsylvania Avenue.
“It’s a serious responsibility,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said about the bill on Friday. “But it’s also a tremendous opportunity: to direct our national security priorities to reflect the resolve of the American people and the evolving threats to their safety, at home and abroad.
Reacting to the Friday vote, in a statement, Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said: “President Trump tried to make this vote a loyalty test and an overwhelming majority of U.S. Senators demonstrated their loyalty to the common defense and to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who defend our nation. … This vote was undoubtedly a bipartisan rebuke of President Trump. He tried to use our troops as political pawns and distort what this bill is about. In the end, he lost,”
Donald Trump had threatened for months that he would veto the defense bill, which will now become law for the 60th year in a row, over language included in both the initial House and Senate bills requiring the Pentagon to change the names of Confederate-named military bases and installations.
Trump’s veto statement includes restrictions on his ability to remove troops from Afghanistan and Germany.
“My Administration has taken strong actions to help keep our Nation safe and support our service members. I will not approve this bill, which would put the interests of the Washington, D.C. establishment over those of the American people,” he had written.
Trump also tweeted last week that “weak and tired Republican ‘leadership’ will allow the bad Defense Bill to pass.”
“Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW! Senate should not approve NDAA until fixed!!!” he added.
Unfortunately for Trump, over 100 Republican lawmakers in the House ultimately broke with him to support the veto override earlier this week. On Friday, only seven of the Senate’s 52 GOP senators voted to uphold Trump’s veto: Mike Braun (Ind.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Josh Hawley (Mo.), John Kennedy (La.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Rand Paul (Ky).
However, Trump’s faith could be traced to his continuous lashing out at the Republican lawmakers that have stood by him since he lost the election to Joe Biden.
