U.S. Senate passes $740 billion defense bill, bucking Trump on Confederate names

Reuters via MSN ^ | 7/23/20 | Patricia Zengerle

[DoodleDawg]

The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, a $740 billion bill setting policy for the Pentagon that President Donald Trump has threatened to veto over a provision removing Confederate names from military bases.

The vote was 86-14, one of the few times the Republican-led Senate has broken from the president, and could pave the way for a fight later this year with the White House.

The Senate and Democratic-led House of Representatives each passed versions of the bill, known as the NDAA, with far more than the two-thirds majorities needed to override a veto.

The House bill also voted to include a provision to change the names of military facilities named after generals who fought on the pro-slavery side during the Civil War 155 years ago.

[ncalburt]

Drama queens .
The same item is in both the Senate and House versions .
Its not going away .
But China Mitch just threw Dog Crap at his President on purpose just before the election .
Trump needs to destroy the traitor .
Would the Commie DNC do this to their President in a election year ?
Never .
Trump needs to destroy China Mitch .

[Stingray51]

He said he will veto it, so he needs to do so.

First, the provision has to survive the conference process and then be voted on again by the Senate. So if the President makes his intention to veto clear now, he might get up to the 1/3 needed to sustain a veto.

Just wondering - under the bill, who gets to pick the new names?

[DoodleDawg]

Who were the gopee’s that voted for this?

Everyone except Paul and Kennedy.

[lodi90]

Ball’s in Trump’s court now.

---

Ball? More like another pile of garbage from McConnell. That seems to be his specialty. China Mitch is a natural born minority leader.

[DoodleDawg]

Just wondering - under the bill, who gets to pick the new names?

Some mid-level functionary at the Pentagon would be my guess.

[lodi90]

That’s veto proof, so goodbye Fort Bragg.

---

Hopefully, POTUS forces the veto over ride. Enough playing footsie with Team K Street.

[DoodleDawg]

Yet you cheerfully declared “Goodbye Fort Bragg”. Counting your chickens much?

That wasn't me but whatever.

The bill will go to Trump with the clause in it. It's up to Trump to veto it.

[LeoTDB69]

Yup. My dad spent time at Bragg post WW2. This would hit him hard watching us erase so much history this year.

[dhuls]

Ok. So no renaming of bases... you don’t have an issue with the this?

SEC. 377. Commission on the naming of items of the Department of Defense that commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America.

(a) Removal.—Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall implement the plan submitted by the commission described in paragraph (b) and remove all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the “Confederacy”) or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America from all assets of the Department of Defense.

(b) In general.—The Secretary of Defense shall establish a commission relating to assigning, modifying, or removing of names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia to assets of the Department of Defense that commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America.

(c) Duties.—The Commission shall—

(1) assess the cost of renaming or removing names, symbols, displays, monuments, or paraphernalia that commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America;

(2) develop procedures and criteria to assess whether an existing name, symbol, monument, display, or paraphernalia commemorates the Confederate States of America or person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America;

(3) recommend procedures for renaming assets of the Department of Defense to prevent commemoration of the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America;

(4) develop a plan to remove names, symbols, displays, monuments, or paraphernalia that commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America from assets of the Department of Defense, within the timeline established by this Act; and

(5) include in the plan procedures and criteria for collecting and incorporating local sensitivities associated with naming or renaming of assets of the Department of Defense.

(d) Membership.—The Commission shall be composed of eight members, of whom—

(1) four shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense;

(2) one shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;

(3) one shall be appointed by the Ranking Member of the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;

(4) one shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and

(5) one shall be appointed by the Ranking Member of the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.

(e) Appointment.—Members of the Commission shall be appointed not later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(f) Initial meeting.—The Commission shall hold its initial meeting on the date that is 60 days after the enactment of this Act.

(g) Briefings and reports.—Not later than October 1, 2021, the Commission shall brief the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives detailing the progress of the requirements under subsection (c). Not later than October 1, 2022, and not later than 90 days before the implementation of the plan in subsection (c)(4), the Commission shall present a briefing and written report detailing the results of the requirements under subsection (c), including:

(1) A list of assets to be removed or renamed.

(2) Costs associated with the removal or renaming of assets in subsection (g)(1).

(3) Criteria and requirements used to nominate and rename assets in subsection (g)(1).

(4) Methods of collecting and incorporating local sensitivities associated with the removal or renaming of assets in subsection (g)(1).

(h) Funding.—

(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 to carry out this section.

(2) OFFSET.—The amount authorized to be appropriated by the Act for fiscal year 2021 for Operations and Maintenance, Army, sub activity group 434 - other personnel support is hereby reduced by $2,000,000.

(i) Assets defined.—In this section, the term “assets” includes any base, installation, street, building, facility, aircraft, ship, plane, weapon, equipment, or any other property owned or controlled by the Department of Defense.

(j) Exemption for grave markers.—Shall not cover monuments but shall exempt grave markers. Congress expects the commission to further define what constitutes a grave marker.

[SanchoP]

And you think that the compromise will remove the 'rename the base' clause?

I don't know and you don't know but I refuse to give up without a fight. I'm sending emails and making phone calls,raising hell. What about you?

[LeoTDB69]

Just wondering - under the bill, who gets to pick the new names?

Probably BLM and Antifa the way we are going

[dhuls]

I already sent emails to both Texas Congressman asking why the H@#$ they would vote in favor of this garbage.

[Starboard]

It is Congress who has stolen our money and ruined our country.

**************

While many Americans still believe in our founding principles and our Constitution they have lost faith in our government. And that’s largely the fault of the repeated failures of a weak and corrupt congress.

[DoodleDawg]

I don't know and you don't know...

Yeah, I do.

I'm sending emails and making phone calls,raising hell. What about you?

I don't care if they rename the bases or not, so no.

[lodi90]

I think that’s the plan. Republican Senators intend to override Trump’s veto, signalling their alignment with the cause and their ability to resist Trump’s will, if necessary. I don’t doubt this is theater to allow Republicans to express their independence and sympathies.

---

Now you are over the target. I agree 100%. This is campaign season beltway theater produced by China Mitch. He couldn’t care less if it harms POTUS.

The arrogance from the GOP Senate here is breathtaking. Especially after Sessions was destroyed in the run off. It’s quite clear the GOP won’t listen to the base and never will reform. The donor class fueled GOP has become a malignant force in American politics. It’s time, to quote China Mitch on Obamacare, for the “root and branch” dismantling of the GOP and a robust 3rd party that genuinely opposes the progressive agenda. We’ll never get that from the GOP. Ever.

[Jeff Chandler]

Pocket veto.

[OldGoatCPO]

Senate feels bullet proof, Trump needs one body of Congress to stop impeachment. We I am going to under vote I have had it with Tillis.

[Dacula]

I just sent my two senators who are up for election this all email to let them know how upset I am with their vote.

[RetiredArmy]

I went to basic at Fort Bragg back in 1970. A lot of moons ago.

[scpolitician]

Now we are supposed to teach History that the North was the ‘Anti-Slavery Side’ of the Civil War?

Then please teach this forgotten fact of American History:
President Abraham Lincoln proposed ending slavery by 1900:

This is from his Address to Congress December 1, 1862...

“Article -—.
“Every State, wherein slavery now exists, which shall abolish the same therein, at any time, or times, before the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand and nine hundred, shall receive compensation from the United States...”

...1900!