President Trump VETOES National Defense Authorization Act
President Donald Trump officially vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act which would set defense funding for the 2021 fiscal year.
President Donald Trump officially vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act which would set defense funding for the 2021 fiscal year.
On Wednesday, The President made good on a promise to veto the act if it did not include a section to also repeal the law which shields tech companies from certain liabilities.
The President had singled out legislation of Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act as a primary reason why he did not approve the act. Section 230 grants Internet companies such as Facebook and Twitter with broad liability protections unavailable to other types of media publishers. However, the law does not provide individual users of the platforms with any protections.
Trump also called the act a “gift” to U.S. adversaries, referring to China and Russia.
“My Administration recognizes the importance of the Act to our national security,” the president wrote to House members after vetoing the bill. “Unfortunately, the Act fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military’s history, and contradicts efforts by my Administration to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions.“
The President also said that the NDAA opposes bringing more U.S. troops home, calling it “unconstitutional” to supersede his authority as commander-in-chief.
“I oppose endless wars, as does the American public. Over bipartisan objections, however, this Act purports to restrict the President’s ability to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Germany, and South Korea,” the president continued.
Democrat Representative Tulsi Gabbard has been one of Trump’s few supporters. She had urged Trump to stand his ground in the legislative fight early in December after he warned that he would veto the bill if it did not include a repeal of Section 230.
“I fully support you on this,” the Hawaii congresswoman and Army veteran tweeted. “Please don’t back down. The freedom and future of our country is at stake.“
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