Trump to veto defense bill over renaming of bases celebrating Confederate figures

Trump will reportedly veto the bill that includes a raise for troops and the renaming of Confederate military bases

Nov 23, 2020

President Donald Trump is not in favor of the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate military leaders and he has a plan to stop it.

Trump plans to veto the National Defense Authorization Act which lends financial support to military families and helps create policy if it includes a clause about renaming the bases, NBC News reported Monday.

Trump made it clear on Twitter how he felt about the bill that has been passed annually for the last 59 years.

Donald Trump thegrio.com
(Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

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“I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth ‘Pocahantas’ Warren (of all people!) Amendment which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other Military Bases from which we won Two World Wars, is in the Bill!” he tweeted in July.

If Trump does decide to veto the bill, Congress has until Jan. 3 to create and have another version passed. If that doesn’t happen, they will have to start from the drawing board. The bill includes a pay raise for troops, funds to support them and their families, and military children with special needs.

Active Duty And Recruits Work At New York City's Only Active Military Base
NEW YORK – MARCH 27: General Lee Avenue at Fort Hamilton, New York City’s only active-duty military base, on March 27, 2009 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Fort Hamilton is one of the oldest military bases in the country, and has over two hundred active duty military along with their families, many of them living in base housing. Built in the early 19th century, Fort Hamilton stands at the site on the Verrazano Narrows where the British first landed to face George Washington’s army at the beginning of the American Revolution. Military recruiters currently often use the garrison to funnel through new enlisted recruits from the New York metropolitan area to complete their paperwork and medical tests prior to leaving for basic training and their first assignment in active duty. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

President-elect Joe Biden does support adding the name changes in the bill. In June, he issued a statement about the matter.

“The names affixed to our military installations must honor the diverse heritage of leadership and sacrifice in our country’s history. I fully support Senator Warren’s bipartisan effort to form a commission to rename Defense Department facilities named after Confederate leaders in the next three years, and look forward to implementing the commission’s work as president,” Biden stated.

Biden is able to sign an executive order and also to change the names once in office which might actually be quicker than signing legislation.

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This action appears to be Trump’s last attempt at trying to assert power. A congressional aide spoke to NBC questioning Trump’s threats.  

“Why put a large, important bill at risk for something that will come to pass anyway?” the aide posed.

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