Ever hear of Congress cutting short a vacation to do they peoples' business? Me neither. But supposedly if Señor Trumpanzee vetos the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), as he keeps threatening to do, Congress will reconvene to override his veto. Both Armed Services Committee chair Adam Smith (D-WA) and Republican ranking member, Mac Thornberry are saying they have the votes to override Trump in order to make sure members of the armed services are paid. Smith told reporters that "the path is clear. There's not a single member of this Congress who can't vote for this bill in good conscience and feel good about it in my humble opinion. So we should pass it."
CNN reported yesterday that Smith has been consulting with Thornberry, who's retiring and Republican Mike Rogers of Alabama, who takes over as ranking member in January and with Senate Republicans. He says everyone is on board with this.
Trump's threat to veto the annual defense bill unless Congress removes legal protections for social media companies drew swift, sharp bipartisan pushback from lawmakers who charged the President was using leverage over the troops to settle personal scores.
His ultimatum and the fiery opposition it provoked sets up a showdown between Congress and the White House over legislation that would give troops a raise and set defense policy for the country.
Rep. Liz Cheney, a member of House GOP leadership, also called Monday for Trump not to veto the bill.
"We ought to pass the NDAA and the President should not veto it. And we should override it," she told CNN.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer also said the House would return during the holidays if necessary to override a presidential veto on NDAA.
Aside from troops not getting their pay, "National Guardsmen, many of whom have been on the front lines of the Covid-19 response, will lose their health coverage if the NDAA is not passed and signed. These Guardsmen get 180 days of Tricare after they leave active duty but that health coverage would goes away if the bill is not signed."
McConnell also said that the bill is going to be passed and he's ignoring Trump's whiny threats to veto it if he doesn't get his way on the social media piece and on an amendment that will lead to changing the names of forts and bases named for traitors.
The House vote is today.