SPLC Action Fund Responds to House and Senate Override of Trump Veto of National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, an overwhelming majority of the United States Senate voted to override President Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – vital legislation Congress has approved for the past 59 years. The House of Representatives had voted to override Trump’s veto on Monday, so today’s Senate vote means that the bill will become law despite the president’s attempts to block it.

SPLC Action Fund’s Lecia Brooks issued the following statement in response:

“We applaud the United States Senate for joining the House of Representatives to block President Trump’s misguided attempt to end his presidency the way he began it -- by defending white supremacy and trying to turn back the clock on racial justice and equity.

“The NDAA has been signed into law for 59 years, and it was appalling to see the president veto it because it calls for removing Confederate names from U.S. military bases and bars the display of the Confederate flag and other symbols of white supremacy within three years. 

“By overriding the president’s veto, lawmakers from both parties have put the health and well-being of American troops and their families ahead of Trump’s racism and petty grievances, such as his insistence that the bill contain an unrelated provision that shields social media companies from liability for content posted by third parties. 

“Instead, both the Senate and the House have now come together to protect a bill that includes meaningful reforms, including a provision designed to keep weapons of war out of the hands of civilian police officers by limiting the Department of Defense’s 1033 Program which allows the Pentagon to transfer excess supplies to law enforcement agencies across the country. Those military-grade weapons inflame the paranoia of the far-right and have too often been used to intimidate American citizens, and it’s long past time for the program to be wound down. 

“The return of bipartisanship amongst our elected officials is also welcomed and rings true to the collaborative spirit that our founding fathers envisioned. By rejecting irrelevant and arbitrary provisions, lawmakers ensured that the NDAA that will soon become law will rightfully focus solely on the safety and security of our country.

“Now that the president’s attempts to use the NDAA to stoke the flames of racism and white supremacy have been thwarted, we can head into 2021 with a renewed commitment to the difficult work of tackling the racial and social justice issues that have lain dormant for far too long.”