Published 10:07 IST, December 14th 2020
Trump threatens to veto $740 million Defense Spending Bill, cites China's gains
Citing China as the ‘biggest winner’ of the USD 740 million defense spending bill passed by Congress, US President Donald Trump threatened to veto it.
US President Donald Trump on December 13 threatened to veto the Defense Spending Bill dispatched by the senate with a veto-proof margin of 84-13 after it made to the US commander-in-chief’s desk. Citing China as the ‘biggest winner’ of the USD 740 million defense bill which additionally seeks to ramp down the US troops pulling out of Afghanistan, Trump warned that he would block the legislation passed by the congress. “The biggest winner of our new defense bill is China, I will veto,” Trump tweeted. While the Republican-controlled Senate passed the bill, the Democrats approved the bill by 335-78 vote, passing the bill with more than 2-3rd majority that overrides US President’s veto. Meanwhile, Trump could veto the bill within 10 days or it will automatically become the law.
Earlier, the US president had launched tweets, saying, that will block the bill if it was sent to his table without repealing section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The section provides immunity to the social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter to regulate content from third-party publishers. In the bill, Trump had also cited objections about renaming the US military bases for Confederate military officers.
Sanctioned Chinese vessels
“Section 230, which is a liability shielding gift from the US to ‘Big Tech’ (the only companies in America that have it – corporate welfare!), is a serious threat to our National Security & Election Integrity. Our Country can never be safe & secure if we allow it to stand,” Trump wrote on Twitter. He added, “ If the very dangerous & unfair Section 230 is not completely terminated as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), I will be forced to unequivocally VETO the Bill when sent to the very beautiful Resolute desk. Take back America NOW.”
With days numbered in office, President Trump has been attempting to tighten the noose around China, North Korea, and Iran. Only last week, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned at least six North Korean shipping firms, including four vessels that it identified facilitating illicit North Korean coal exports in violation of UNSC resolution. Several of those vessels were based out of China.
(Image Credit: AP)
Updated 10:07 IST, December 14th 2020