Trump Veto Of Defence Bill Overridden By Congress

US Congress has overridden Donald Trump’s veto of a defence policy bill for the first time in his presidency.

The vote by the Republican-controlled Senate in a New Year’s Day session comes just weeks before Mr Trump’s presidential term ends.

The legislation provides US troops with a 3% pay rise. It also influences defence policy – cementing decisions about troop levels, new weapons systems and military readiness, personnel policy and other military goals.

Numerous programmes, including those in military construction, can only come into effect with approval of the bill.

Mr Trump rejected it last week, saying it failed to restrict social media companies he claimed were biased against him in his failed campaign to be re-elected.

He also opposed language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honour Confederate leaders.

On Twitter, the outgoing president had criticised Republican lawmakers, saying earlier in the week that “Weak and tired Republican ‘leadership’ will allow the bad Defense Bill to pass”.

He described the overturn vote as a “disgraceful act of cowardice and total submission by weak people to Big Tech. Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW!”

Ahead of the 81-13 vote in the Senate, the House of Representatives voted to override by 322-87.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said before the vote that Congress had passed the National Defence Authorisation Act every year for 59 years in a row, “and one way or another, we are going to complete the 60th annual NDAA and pass it into law before this Congress concludes on Sunday”.

Mr Trump also said the bill restricted his ability to conduct foreign policy, “particularly my efforts to bring our troops home”.

He was referring to provisions that place conditions on his plan to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan and Germany.

The measures require the Pentagon to submit reports certifying that the proposed withdrawals would not jeopardise US national security.

Senator Jim Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was “disappointed” with Mr Trump’s veto and called the bill “absolutely vital to our national security and our troops”.

Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Mr Trump’s December 23 veto a “parting gift” to Russian president Vladimir Putin “and a lump of coal for our troops".

"Donald Trump is showing more devotion to Confederate base names than to the men and women who defend our nation,” he said.

Cover image: PA.