On Friday, the Senate passed the $740 billion 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in a veto-proof majority. The vote came after Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) tried to delay the massive spending bill over an amendment that seeks to block troops drawdowns from Afghanistan.
The final tally for the vote was 84 to 13, well over the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto. President Trump has threatened to veto the NDAA for a few reasons, mainly because it does not include an amendment to repeal Section 230, a law that gives tech platforms immunity from liability over the content published by third party users.
The Afghanistan amendment on the bill would block funds to bring troops home from Afghanistan until the Pentagon, State Department, and the DNI submit a report to Congress about how the drawdown would affect US security.
The assessment would be required as soon as the NDAA becomes law. Assessments would also be required when troop numbers go below 4,000, and again at 2,000. The Trump administration is currently carrying out a plan to bring numbers down to 2,500 by January 15th.
Senator Paul warned the amendment would set “a very dangerous precedent for limiting a President’s power to end war.”
The NDAA also includes an amendment to block a planned troop drawdown from Germany. The Trump administration ordered the Pentagon to take about 12,000 troops out of Germany of the approximately 34,500 stationed there.
The NDAA amendment would not allow the Pentagon to bring troops out of Germany until 120 days after the secretary of defense submitted an analysis to Congress on how the drawdown would impact US national security.
On Tuesday, the NDAA passed through the House, also with a veto-proof majority. If President Trump goes ahead with the veto, both chambers will likely override it unless some Republicans change their votes to align with the president.
Liz Cheney needs to have a good opponent primary her.
The Obama administration’s Pentagon budget for 2011 was some $738 billion. Ten years ago. Arguably larger, then, in constant dollars.
Like Raegan in ’86 and ’87.
MIC at work.
The war machine and evil empire continue as usual.
when it comes to cowardice, bullying and uncivilized immoral behavior amerikans will unite
…. America fights for Europe First European globalist imperialism.
The bullying, uncivilized, and immoral behavior is far from entirely indigenous to Americans.
Anti-Americanism is a propaganda ploy to keep Europeans blameless and Americans defensive.
Merry Christmas to billionaires and war profiteers! Marry Christmas to all the militants we plan to train and equip with hundreds of millions, even though nobody in Syria and Iraq asked for them.
For the US citizens losing home at the end of year, as protections expire on rents and mortgage. Where is the food going to come from, bills to be paid, while waiting endlessly for hundreds of job applications to result in one call for an interview! Sadness and despair. How depressing.
Trump should veto, but probably won’t.
Europe should fight their own wars with their own blood and treasure exclusively.
Though, they’ve probably dropped a bundle of treasure fighting Trump already.