Senate passes defense bill with veto-proof vote

The Senate voted 84-13 today with a veto-proof majority to pass the fiscal year 2021 defense authorization bill President Trump has vowed to block.

The House passed the bill Monday with a vote of 335-78, also with a veto-proof majority.

The White House Office of Management and Budget, meanwhile, has sent Congress a formal statement of administration policy notifying lawmakers Trump intends to veto the bill because it does not repeal Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which shields social media companies from lawsuits.

The White House has also said Trump will veto the bill because it creates a commission to remove the names of Confederate leaders from U.S. military bases.

If Trump vetoes the bill, lawmakers in each chamber will need two-thirds majority votes to override the president. At present, the bill has the margin it needs to pass.

Senior leaders have said Congress is prepared to cut short its holiday plans and return to Washington to override Trump if he attempts to take advantage of lawmakers’ absences and vetoes the bill on Christmas Eve.