Posted on 12/21/2020 11:38:56 PM PST by RandFan
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced early Tuesday morning that the Senate will return to Washington on Dec. 29 in order to respond to a potential veto from President Trump of a mammoth defense bill.
McConnell, speaking from the Senate floor, said that he had struck a deal with Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) for the chamber to return for a rare post-Christmas session where he said they will "process" a veto override, if it's passed by the House.
"My intention was and is to ensure the Senate continues fulfilling our obligation to the men and women of our Armed Forces. I hope the president will not veto this bill," McConnell said from the Senate floor.
"In the event that President Trump does elect to veto this bipartisan bill it appears the House may choose to return after the holidays to set up a vote to consider the veto. ...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," McConnell added.
Even if the Senate returns on Dec. 29 it could still be days before a final vote takes place on whether or not to override a potential veto from Trump of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The agreement from the Senate comes after the House decided on Monday that it would return to Washington on Dec. 28 for a veto override vote. Trump has issued eight vetoes during his tenure, none of which have been successfully overridden.
Because the House passed the defense bill first initially it also has to vote on the override attempt first. A Democratic House aide previously told The Hill that in order to overcome any procedural hurdles in the Senate they would need to vote to send the veto message across the Capitol by Dec. 29. If the House fails to override the veto, the effort is automatically squashed on Capitol Hill.
Senate leaders are likely to face procedural hurdles to getting to a final vote on whether or not to override Trump's veto.
Opponents of overriding the president’s veto could drag out procedural hurdles by forcing a cloture vote, requiring the override effort to initially get 60 votes, according to the Congressional Research Service. To ultimately override in the Senate, as in the House, will require two-thirds support.
GOP senators have previously floated that a final vote could wait until the morning of Jan. 3, before the new Congress is sworn in. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), McConnell's No. 2, warned on Monday night that it could take a "few days" for the Senate to go through all of the legislative hoops.
"Well, it will take more than one day if we have objections and I think we probably will. So the question is, if the House, if they override it, then yeah we'll have to set it up, and it may take a few days to do that," Thune said.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has aligned closely with Trump and tried to slow walk the defense bill earlier this month, indicated Monday he could similarly delay an override vote.
“I very much am opposed to the Afghan war, and I’ve told them I’ll come back to try to prevent them from easily overriding the president’s veto,” Paul told reporters.
Congress has until noon on Jan. 3 to override the veto. If Congress fails to override the veto by then, lawmakers would need to start from scratch on the bill, and it would be the first time in 60 years the bill does not become law.
The defense bill passed both chambers with veto-proof majorities and top GOP senators had indicated that there was backchanneling underway to try to get Trump to back down from his veto threat. He has until Wednesday to veto the bill.
Trump has doubled down on his threat several times, reiterating his complaints that it would not repeal a tech liability shield and would rename Confederate-named military bases. The president also added an unspecified gripe that the NDAA is weak on China.
“I will Veto the Defense Bill, which will make China very unhappy,” Trump tweeted Thursday. “They love it. Must have Section 230 termination, protect our National Monuments and allow for removal of military from far away, and very unappreciative, lands. Thank you!”
Thanks turtle.
You can do that, but you are unable to oppose corruption and vote fraud.
May you go the way of traitors.
Any dem who voted for Biteme is a stupid hypocrite because all of his policies will likely lead to more conflicts.
He will probably undo President Trump’s myriad Middle East peace deals, reengage in Iraq and remain involved in Afghanistan and appease Iran.
Biteme will once again make our borders vulnerable and revert back to a foreign affairs posture of weakness.
President Trump is the only modern president not to have begun a new war and has even been nominated for four Nobel Peace Prizes. He alone earned the vote/support of anyone interested in PEACE (THROUGH STRENGTH)!!
Mumbai Mike and Kolkata Kamala gave one last chance to please their Indian constituency and piss on Americans
Oh...so it’s all about the armed forces huh. They are such transprent low life scheming cockroaches
They don’t think that way anymore.
Yes to them its about defeating a Trump veto...
The fact that they’re aligned with Cheney and supporting her amendment is a minor inconvenience.
Rand will make this clear next week I suspect.
It’s not a ‘defense bill’ it’s a money snowblower bill to all the usual cronies.
If you are anticipating a veto, then you know you are in the wrong, and not just with Trump. These “leaders” are losers, bigly.
“this bipartisan bill it “
D.C. MAFIOSA
Democrat voters are utter hypocrites when it comes to war.
I think Syria will be their target for a new war etc. They see it as unfinished business
When they are the Socialists in Charge, they don’t object to war.
We have always been at war with Eastasia
What war did Jimmy Carter start?
Makes you wonder... what else is in it?
We are fighting wars to its China take over.
We are fighting wars to *help its China take over.
The poster stipulated “modern President.”
What is the title of the bill or number, I would like to read it.
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