President Trump has announced that he will veto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). “Unfortunately, the Act 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,” The President released in a statement. “It is a ‘gift’ to China and Russia.”
According to him, one of the biggest reasons he will veto the bill is because it fails to make changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Section 230 protects Social Media Companies from liability for third-party content on their site. President Trump believes it should be repealed because it allows social media companies to censor Conservative views. Many Conservatives will agree, most believe that moderation on a platform should be done from a neutral standpoint.
President Trump went on to write that the law needs to be repealed because it allows “the spread of foreign disinformation” through our social media feeds. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has since said he would be willing to override the President’s veto in the Senate. McConnel said, “In the event that the President has vetoed the bill, and the House has voted to override the veto, the Senate would have the opportunity to process a veto override at that time.”
President Trump wrote that the NDAA bill goes directly against his efforts to bring American Troops back from Germany, South Korea, and Afghanistan. The bill also would have renamed several of the United States’ historical military installations. To this, President Trump wrote “My Administration respects the legacy of the millions of American servicemen and women who have served with honor at these military bases, and who, from these locations, have fought, bled, and died for their country. From these facilities, we have won two World Wars. I have been clear in my opposition to politically motivated attempts like this to wash away history and to dishonor the immense progress our country has fought for in realizing our founding principles.”
President Trump’s full veto statement available here: