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In a series of Saturday morning tweets, the US president repeats that the $ 740 billion legislation is a “gift to Russia and China.”
President Donald Trump has defended his decision to veto legislation authorizing the US military’s $ 740 billion annual budget, claiming in a series of Saturday morning tweets that the bill was a “parody” .
Asset veto the legislation, which enjoys bipartisan support in the US Congress, including senior members of the President’s Republican Party, Tuesday.
“Our $ 740 [sic] The defense bill is a gift for China, Russia and big tech, ”Trump tweeted on Saturday.
He opposed wording in the National Defense Authorization Act that would limit its ability to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, South Korea and Germany, while also opposing provisions that would rename military bases and monuments to American Confederate figures.
Trump also wants a section of US law – Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act – that protects social media companies from liability for content posted on their platforms to be repealed.
Our defense bill of $ 740 is a gift for China, Russia, and big tech. It fails to end the internationally dangerous Section 230, will not allow us to bring our troops home (to their place), renames and destroys our forts and national monuments, and makes 5G nearly impossible! https://t.co/txJle9Ezlg
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2020
“The law does not include critical national security measures, includes provisions that do not respect our veterans and our military history, and contradicts my administration’s efforts to put America first in our actions.” national security and foreign policy, ”Trump said in a statement after his veto.
His stance is a break with senior Republican Congressional leaders just weeks before he leaves office.
The Republican-led Senate backs the defense spending bill and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will recall the Senate on December 29 for a bypass veto vote.
The Senate and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, which is set to hold its veto bypass vote on December 28, need a two-thirds majority to overcome Trump’s veto.
On December 8, the House voted 335 to 78 in favor of the bill, while the law was passed in the Senate by 84 to 13 against.
COVID bill
Meanwhile, Trump still has not signed a $ 892 billion COVID-19 relief bill as millions of Americans are expected to lose special unemployment benefits on Saturday.
Coronavirus support, tied to a $ 1.4 trillion government funding bill passed in the House and Senate this week, includes a one-time payment of $ 600 to U.S. citizens to help them during the economic downturn caused by the pandemic .
The United States has reported more than 18.7 million cases of COVID-19 since the onset of the crisis and more than 330,000 deaths linked to the novel coronavirus, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally – the highest totals in world.
“I just want our great people to get $ 2,000, rather than the meager $ 600 that is now in the bill,” Trump tweeted on Saturday of payments to Americans.
I just want our great people to get $ 2,000, rather than the meager $ 600 that is in the bill right now. Also, stop the billions of dollars in “pig”.
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2020
Democrats on Thursday sought to increase payments to the $ 2,000 per person Trump demanded, but the president’s Republican colleagues, who oppose the higher amount, blocked the effort.
Trump has yet to say whether he intends to veto the legislation, and he may still sign it in the coming days.
But special unemployment assistance is set to expire on Saturday due to the delays, US media reported, affecting up to 14 million Americans. The COVID relief bill would allow people to collect unemployment benefits until March and reactivate additional benefits for millions of people, the New York Times said.
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