{"id":30886,"date":"2020-07-21T21:46:08","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T21:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/07\/21\/house-defense-bill-strips-confederate-base-names-curbs-presidents-powers-in-troop-deployments\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:37:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:37:16","slug":"house-defense-bill-strips-confederate-base-names-curbs-presidents-powers-in-troop-deployments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2020\/07\/21\/house-defense-bill-strips-confederate-base-names-curbs-presidents-powers-in-troop-deployments\/","title":{"rendered":"House defense bill strips Confederate base names, curbs president\u2019s powers in troop deployments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 In a strong bipartisan vote, House lawmakers on Tuesday passed their $740.5 billion plan for the annual defense authorization bill<\/a>, including provisions for a hefty military pay raise next year, new restrictions on the president\u2019s war powers and requirements that the Defense Department rename bases honoring Confederate leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That last item prompted another veto threat from President Donald Trump earlier in the day, echoing his comments<\/a> in recent weeks that renaming the bases would dishonor troops who served at those locations. Democratic lawmakers have disagreed, saying the continued tributes to the Confederacy are offensive to minorities and Americans as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The White House threat appeared to have little effect on House Republicans, as the measure passed with with a veto-proof majority, 295-125. The tally saw Democrats split 187-43 and Republicans split 108-81.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill\u2019s passage came after two days of debate over additional budget and policy priorities for the department, including a push from progressives to reduce defense spending by 10 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The provision \u2014 seen as a potential signal to Democratic Party leaders<\/a> of the need to divert military spending to the country\u2019s coronavirus response \u2014 failed by a wide margin, 93-324. A majority of Democrats (139) voted no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The $740.5 billion top line would bring Defense Department spending in line with Senate and White House plans. The separate drafts of the defense budget outline also all call for a 3 percent pay raise for troops next year and an increase in service end strengths next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But hopes of an easy conference negotiation with Senate lawmakers over the measure were put in doubt by the president\u2019s latest veto threat of the legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\t