The US Congress has overturned President Donald Trump’s vote on a defense spending bill, for the first time in his presidency.
The Republican Senate held an extraordinary New Year’s Day meeting to debate the move, which had already been voted on by the House of Representatives.
The $ 740bn (£ 549bn) debt will fund security and defense policy next year.
Voting In The Senate
Mr Trump, who is stepping down a few weeks later objected to certain provisions in the bill.
Senate voted 81-13 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – a two-thirds majority required to win a presidential veto in both constituencies.
It comes just two days before the new US Congress is sworn in.
What’s In The Bill?
Mr Trump has been concerned about policies that limit the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Europe and the removal of names of Confederate leaders from military bases.
He also demanded that the bill repeal the debt shield of telecommunications companies.
Ahead of the debate, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said he was determined to pass the bill
“Here is what the Senate is focusing on – finalizing an annual defense law that looks at our brave men and women who are dedicated to wearing uniforms.
“We have passed this law for 59 consecutive years. And in a way, we will finalize the 60th annual NDAA and pass it into law before this Congress ends on Sunday,” he added.
Mr. Trump later responded to the vote, especially on the issue of liability protection.
“Our Republican Senate recently missed the opportunity to repeal Article 230, which gives unlimited power to Big Tech companies. Pathetic !!!” he said on Twitter.
Why Did Congress Overturn The Veto?
Bills issued by Congress require a presidential signature to become law. In rare cases, the president may choose to vote – or reject – the law because of a disagreement with a particular policy.
Legislators can further document the presidential election and use the debts by law by casting two-thirds of the votes in both chambers of Congress.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful congressional Democrat, said Mr Trump’s veto was “an act of staggering recklessness that harms our troops, endangers our security and undermines the will of the bipartisan Congress”.
“At a time when our country has recently been hit hard by cyber-attack, it is very difficult to understand why the President has neglected,” he said in a statement.
Ahead of Wednesday’s by-elections, some advisers to the outgoing President had warned him not to reject the bill.
Trump’s Concerns
Mr Trump has previously voted eight bills, all of which are vetoed with the support of his Republican counterparts in Congress.
He is expected to step down on January 20, when Democrat Joe Biden replaces him.
Mr Trump called the 4,500-page action, a year in the making, “a gift to China and Russia.”
“Unfortunately, this Act fails to include critical national security measures, including provisions that fail to honor our veterans and the history of our military, and contradicts my superiors’ efforts to put America at the forefront of our security and foreign policy actions,” he said. statement.
Mr Trump also said the bill’s measures to prevent the deportation of troops were “bad policy” and “unconstitutional”.
