Senate GOPers block Trump veto of defense bill with override

President Trump’s once-loyal Senate Republican allies turned against him in epic fashion Friday, overriding his veto of a defense policy bill.

The remarkable New Year’s Day Senate session amounted to a massive GOP rebuke of Trump and paved the way for $740 billion in new defense spending.

Trump vetoed the defense bill last week because it didn’t include stricter rules against social-media companies, which he claims have been biased against him. The outgoing president also opposed portions of the bill because they permit the renaming of military bases now named after Confederate leaders.

Before the vote, Trump called the impending veto override a “disgraceful act of cowardice and total submission by weak people to Big Tech.”

“Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW!” he raged.

And afterward, he was no less furious, grousing that the Senate missed an opportunity to eliminate protections for social-media platforms that he said give “unlimited power to Big Tech companies. Pathetic!!!’'

Trump is expected to spend his last day in the White House on Jan. 20, when President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in. The tweeter-in-chief has also argued against the defense bill because it would hamper his “efforts to bring our troops home” — a goal he will have little power to achieve once he leaves office.

The Senate’s override of his veto followed one by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives — the first time in Trump’s four years that Congress has overturned one of his nine vetoes.

The defense bill provides a 3% pay raise for American troops and solidifies policies on troop levels, weapons systems and military construction.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called the legislation “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.”

“It’s our chance to ensure we keep pace with competitors like Russia and China,” he added.

And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declared the “sweeping and overwhelmingly bipartisan votes” in the House and Senate “delivered a resounding rebuke to President Trump’s reckless assault on America’s military and national security.’'

Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act — the legislation’s formal title — “would have hurt the health, financial security and safety of our servicemembers, their families, our veterans and our allies and partners worldwide,’' she said. “Instead of keeping Americans safe, the president continues to use his final moments in office to sow chaos and undermine our security.’'

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a close Trump ally, also applauded the override vote.

“Today, the Senate sent a strong message of support to our troops,’' Inhofe said. “Not only does this bill give our service members and their families the resources they need, but it also makes our nation more secure — pushing back against China and Russia (and) strengthening our cyber defenses.’'

The president has managed to wield strict party discipline on the GOP throughout his four-year term, with few Republicans willing to publicly oppose him. The bipartisan overrides on the defense bill only highlighted the limits of his influence in the final weeks of his term.

Only seven GOP senators voted with Trump to oppose the defense bill override. Forty Republicans — including the entire GOP leadership — voted for the override, along with 41 Democrats. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and five other liberal Senators opposed the defense bill and voted against the override.

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