The United States Congress has voted to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a major defence bill, in a legislative session and political showdown that pitted the US president against members of his own Republican Party.
The Senate, led by President Trump’s Republicans voted 81 to 13 to reach the two-thirds majority required to override the President’s veto of the National Defence Authorization Act.
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives’ also joined the Republicans to support the $740bn defence bill, which sets the US’s military and strategic direction for 2020.
The vote marks the first time US legislators have overridden a Trump veto in the Republican leader’s presidency.
President Trump had raised several points of opposition to the bill, saying it would restrict his ability to reduce the number of US troops in Afghanistan, South Korea and Germany.
He also wanted Congress to repeal Section 230 of a US communications law that allows users to freely post content on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
However, in debate before the veto override, members of dismissed President Trump’s objections to the bill as misguided.
“The reasons the president has given, I don’t think are frivolous at all – but they just shouldn’t be tagged to this particular piece of legislation,” Republican Senator, John Cornyn said.
The President has been increasingly at odds with Republican leaders since Senate Republican Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell acknowledged Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential elections.
Mr McConnell had promised to pass the defence bill into law “one way or another” before Congress concluded.
In the aftermath of Congress’ vote, President Trump hit out at the Republican-controlled Senate for overriding his veto.
“Our Republican Senate just missed the opportunity to get rid of Section 230, which gives unlimited power to Big Tech companies. Pathetic!!!” he tweeted.
President Trump also criticised the Senate on Friday for blocking his push to increase COVID-19 relief payments to Americans. “Now they want to give people ravaged by the China Virus $600, rather than the $2000 which they so desperately need. Not fair, or smart!” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that the bipartisan votes in the Senate and House “delivered a resounding rebuke to President Trump’s reckless assault on America’s military and national security”.
Ms Pelosi, the Democratic House Majority Leader, said US lawmakers are urging “Trump to end his desperate and dangerous sabotage” before Biden’s inauguration later this month.
The 4,500-page defence legislation marked a continuing and gradual shift in US military priorities, as it identified China as the country’s top strategic threat.
Among numerous provisions, the legislation includes a new “Pacific Deterrence Initiative” designed to refocus the Pentagon on key gaps in US military capabilities in the Pacific. The Pentagon plans to invest more than $18.5bn during the next five years under the new initiative.
“We are in the most dangerous situation that we’ve been in before,” said Senator James Inhofe, Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which wrote the bill.
Mr Inhofe said he views China’s construction of military bases in the South China Sea as preparation for “World War III.”
“This is the first time we have really stepped back. We have a new threat rising in the Pacific, we have to take a holistic view,” added Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
