WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after President Donald Trump tweeted that he intends to veto the $732 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 and falsely declared “The biggest winner of our new defense bill is China!”, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

“President Trump clearly hasn’t read the bill, nor does he understand what’s in it.  There are several bipartisan provisions in here that get tougher on China than the Trump Administration has ever been.

“First he threatened the bill because of the Confederate base language.  Then it was the unrelated Section 230 liability provision for social media companies.  Now it’s China.  Give me a break.  This President can’t shoot straight.  Our troops and the American people deserve better.

“Donald Trump’s own national security advisors have labeled him unprincipled and transactional.  This latest veto threat is further proof that he cares more about himself than our troops and the safety of the American people.  Now Congress must come together on a bipartisan basis and override this senseless veto and provide for the common defense.

“As president, Donald Trump failed to stand up to China when it counted.  Now we’ll see if Republicans are willing to stand up for our troops and override this lame duck veto threat.”

The bipartisan NDAA was approved 84-13 in the U.S. Senate and by a vote of 335-78-1 by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Once the bill lands on President Trump’s desk, he has ten days (excluding Sundays) to decide whether to sign or veto it.  If President Trump vetoes the bill, it gets sent back to Congress where lawmakers in both chambers would need two-thirds majorities to override the veto and enact the bill into law.