President Trump followed through Wednesday on his threat to veto a massive annual defense policy bill, setting up what could be the first and only veto override of his presidency.
Congress passed the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) earlier this month with more than the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto, though it is unclear how many Republicans will buck the president in a planned veto override vote.
“My Administration recognizes the importance of the Act to our national security,” Trump said in a message notifying Congress of the veto. “Unfortunately, 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.”
Trump previously objected to the $740 billion policy legislation because it did not include a provision repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 law that provides a legal shield to tech companies like Twitter and Facebook.
Trump had also threatened to veto the legislation because it included a provision requiring Confederate military bases to be renamed within three years, and he recently complained that he viewed the bill as weak on China, despite numerous provisions aimed specifically at Beijing.
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