Slapping 74-year-old President Donald Trump before he leaves office Jan. 20, Congress overrode Trump’s veto of the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act [NDAA], letting the president know he’s no longer relevant on Capitol Hill. Today’s override signals that Trump’s fantasy that 61-year-old Vice President Mike Pence was going to pull a rabbit out of his hat Jan. 6, declaring the Nov. 3 election for Trump is pure fantasy. :Losing the Nov. 3 election to Biden, whether there was fraud or not, Trump holds no sway with any elected official on Capitol Hill. Tweeting insults to lawmakers no longer has the same effect it once did when Trump led the Republican Party, before his humiliating loss to who he called “Sleepy Joe.” Trump finds out the hard way how easy one goes from top of the mountain to the ash heap of history. It happens faster than you can say “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,”
Overriding a presidential veto is a big deal because it requires two-thirds of the House and Senate, a major feat in today’s divided government. Voting 81-13 in the Senate and 322-87 in the House, Congress kicked Trump where it hurts on his way out the door. Whatever was flawed in the NDAA, it was still time to approve the Pentagon’s budget for the 60th time. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in perhaps his last act before Democrats take over the Senate riding on Jan. 5 vote in Georgia, said the Senate needed to pass the authorization. “And one way or another, we are going to complete the 60th annual NDAA and pass it into law before Congress concludes on Sunday,” McConnell said. McConnell used his parliamentary power to avoid a temporary filibuster by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), something that would have delayed the vote.
Let there be no mistake, Democrats and Republicans came together to rebuke Trump one last time before he leaves office. With the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 3, 2020 drone strike against Iran’s Al-Quds Chief Qassem Soleimani, McConnell thought the Defense Department should be ready for any contingency. Bernie wanted to hold the NDAA hostage to force a vote on the $2,000 payments to cash-strapped Americans. Bernie couldn’t stop McConnell from authorizing spending on a new Pentagon budget, something needed for U.S. national security. Trump objected to the NDAA because it included plans to re-name military bases named after Confederate generals. Trump wanted McConnell to hold up the bill until Democrats agreed to amend Section 230 taking away social media companies’ liability protection. Fuming over no Special Counsel to look into the Nov. 3, 2020 election fraud, Trump vetoed the bill.
Giving three percent raises to enlisted personnel and supplying the Pentagon with all the necessary weapons systems, Congress passed the override on Trump’s veto without too many delays. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said he was “disappointed” with Trump’s veto, realizing that passing the NDAA was top priority for U.S. national security. Inhofe called the bill “absolutely vital to our national security and our troops,: express his opposition to Trump veto. Had Trump won reelection, Capitol Hill Republicans would be signing a different tune. “This is the most important bill we have,” Inhofe said. “ It puts members of the military first,” making Trump’s arguments look foolish. But like so many other things over the last four years, Republicans are breathing a little easier knowing the Trump’s been replaced with 78-year-old President-elect Joe Biden, no fan of Trump.
Republicans voted Dec. 24 to reject Trump’s request for $2,000 payments to cash-strapped citizens. With Trump out of the picture, no one believes that Pence is going to monkey with the tally of Electoral College votes on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Trump backers like 67-year-old Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tx.) whose attempts to see the Nov. 3 election repealed fell on deaf ears. Gohmert, like Trump, thinks massive voter fraud put Biden in office, not a legitimate vote count. Trump and Gohmert “think” there was widespread voter fraud just can’t prove it in court. Trump wanted to hold up the NDAA to assure that U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq would be sent home. Democrats and Republicans in Congress, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, don’t want U.S. troop removed from Iraq and Afghanistan no matter how long they’ve been there.
Watching Trump’s clout evaporate on Capitol Hill tells the whole story of why Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate voted today to override Trump’s veto of the NDAA. Trump wanted Congress to make certain concessions on the $2,000 payments and Special Counsel to investigate alleged 2020 election fraud. Once considered the future of the Republican Party, Trump’s now a thorn in the side of most Democrats and Republicans pretending that he’s still relevant after losing the election. When Pence shows up to tally the Electoral College votes next Wednesday, Jan. 6, there aren’t enough votes in both Houses to reverse the Nov. 3 election. No matter how many Republicans have their doubts, that’s not enough to undo a national election. After getting Covid-19 Oct. 3, Trump embarrassed himself, but, more importantly, lost confidence with voters worried about the Covid-19 crisis.
