{"id":52183,"date":"2020-12-08T23:31:52","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T23:31:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/12\/08\/defying-trump-house-oks-defense-bill-335-78\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:44:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:44:21","slug":"defying-trump-house-oks-defense-bill-335-78","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2020\/12\/08\/defying-trump-house-oks-defense-bill-335-78\/","title":{"rendered":"Defying Trump, House approves defense bill with veto-proof majority"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 The House adopted a compromise $740.5 billion defense policy bill<\/a> by a veto-proof majority Tuesday, rebuking President Donald Trump, who threatened to send back the bill because it doesn\u2019t repeal a prized liability shield for social media firms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republican and Democratic supporters hoped for a strong vote in hopes it would back Trump down, and they got it. The vote was 355-78 for the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, a blueprint for next year\u2019s spending on military and other national security programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Democrats voted overwhelmingly for the bill, 40 Republicans disregarded Trump\u2019s objections and joined Democratic lawmakers in passing the legislation. Another 37 Democrats voted against it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday the House sent a strong, bipartisan message to the American people: Our service members and our national security are more important than politics,\u201d Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. \u201cBy passing the FY21 NDAA conference report with a sweeping, veto-proof majority, the House has proven we are capable of legislating and reaching compromise that results in good policy outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s unclear how strong the Senate vote will be and whether the president will ultimately sign the hugely popular bill. Over the summer, the Senate approved its version, 86-14, while the House similarly passed its effort, with opposition coming mostly from the liberal and conservative flanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a member of the House Republican leadership, urged Trump not to follow through on his veto threat, but added that if he does veto it, \u201cWe should override.\u2033<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump has threatened to send back the NDAA over a provision to rename military bases named for Confederate generals<\/a> and for not including a repeal of Section 230 liability protection for social media companies. The bill also bars U.S. troop reductions in Afghanistan, Germany and South Korea without significant justifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope House Republicans will vote against the very weak National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which I will VETO,\u201d Trump said in a tweet Tuesday. \u201cMust include a termination of Section 230 (for National Security purposes), preserve our National Monuments, & allow for 5G & troop reductions in foreign lands!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Republicans and Democrats, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, agree the Section 230 provision could be revisited, even as they disagree with Trump\u2019s tactic of attaching it to the defense bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\t