House passes massive defense bill with veto-proof majority
With a veto-proof 335-78 bipartisan vote, the House passed a $741 billion defense policy bill on Tuesday.
Under the bill, military service members will get pay raises, the names of Confederate officers will be dropped from military bases, and Vietnam-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange will receive new benefits. It also requires that during protests, federal agents must identify themselves and their agencies — a response to the anti-racism and anti-police brutality demonstrations that swept the country over the summer.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said the House "sent a strong, bipartisan message to the American people: Our service members and our national security are more important than politics."
President Trump has long objected to the bill, first saying he would veto it over the bases being renamed, then because he wanted the measure to include a repeal of legal protections for social media companies, a completely unrelated matter. The Senate will consider the legislation this week, and it is expected to pass overwhelmingly.
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