The
322-87 House vote, in which 109 Republicans joined Democrats to
override Trump's veto, leaves the bill's fate to the
Republican-led Senate, where a final vote is expected this week.
If the Senate seconds the House action, the bill becomes law. It
would be the first veto override of Trump's presidency.
Trump, who is angry that some Republicans have acknowledged his
loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden in the Nov. 3
election, vetoed the defense bill last Wednesday. Biden will be
sworn in as president on Jan. 20.
Trump said he blocked the legislation because he wanted it to
overturn liability protections for social media companies
unrelated to national security, and he opposed a provision to
rename military bases named after generals who fought for the
pro-slavery Confederacy during the Civil War.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi welcomed what she described as "an
overwhelming bipartisan" vote to override Trump's rejection of
the bill and predicted the legislation would become law despite
the president's "dangerous sabotage efforts."
"The president must end his eleventh-hour campaign of chaos and
stop using his final moments in office to obstruct bipartisan
and bicameral action to protect our military and defend our
security," Pelosi said in a statement.
Another top Democrat, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, said he
believes the Senate will join the House in rejecting Trump's
veto.
Twenty Democrats, including the prominent progressive,
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, opposed the override.
Representative Mac Thornberry, the top Republican on the House
Armed Services Committee, urged Republicans ahead of the vote
not to side with the president.
"The world is watching what we do," the Texas Republican said.
"I would only ask that as members vote, they put the best
interests of the country first. There is no other consideration
that should matter."
The legislation, which addresses a host of defense policy issues
and includes a pay raise for U.S. troops, has been passed by
Congress every year since 1961.
The bill had earlier passed both chambers of Congress with
margins greater than the two-thirds majorities needed to
override the if president's veto needed. But Trump vetoed it
anyway and the bill went back to Congress for a possible
override.
(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Alistair Bell and Aurora
Ellis)
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