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Major Defense Bill, Strongly Backed in Congress, Draws Trump's Veto

Reuters

   WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump vetoed a $740 billion bill
   setting policy for the Department of Defense on Wednesday, despite its
   strong support in Congress, raising the possibility that the measure
   will fail to become law for the first time in 60 years.

   Trump said he vetoed the annual National Defense Authorization Act, or
   NDAA, because it "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."

   "It is a 'gift' to China and Russia," he said in a message to the House
   of Representatives.

   Although his previous eight vetoes were all upheld thanks to support
   from Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress, advisers said this one
   looked likely to be overridden, just weeks before he leaves office on
   January 20.

   Both the Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic-majority House of
   Representatives passed the 2021 NDAA with margins larger than the
   two-thirds majorities needed to override a veto.

   That means that Trump would have to persuade dozens of his fellow
   Republicans to throw out nearly a year's work on the 4,500-page bill
   and start over.

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